Rider of Beacon
by KingofthePhantomDragon
Summary: Jaune Arc, proud and powerful bounty hunter hailing from the Arc Citadel. His latest hunt forces his path to cross with a little red reaper, sending him on his next adventure to Beacon Academy at the Headmaster's request. But will the Ghost Rider bite off more than he can chew? Rated for language and adult content.
1. Rider meets Reaper

**Well, I'm back at fanfiction writing people. This is an attempt to ease back into the swing of things with a brand new story. I hope you all enjoy.**

 **I don't own Ghost Rider or RWBY. They are proudly owned by Marvel and Rooster Teeth respectively. RIP Monty Oum.**

 **(Vale, Night time)**

The quiet air of the city was ruptured by the roar of a passing motorcycle. On the bike was a young man silently driving it through the streets.

He wore a black Stetson hat over his spiky blonde hair that dangled from his neck by a small chain and black sunglasses over his bright blue eyes, a black leather jacket with three metal studs on the shoulders and leather gloves on his hands. On his legs was a pair of black denim jeans with two gun holsters on his waist and black cowboy boots.

Strapped to his back was a gray leather harness that holstered two blades, his trusty Bowie sword and his knife, as well as a sawed off, twin barrel 12-gauge shotgun over his right shoulder. The handles for his blades had a ring for the index finger to slip through and a trigger beneath it to be squeezed by the middle finger.

The young man put on the brakes outside of a shop labeled "From Dust till Dawn" when he saw an orange-haired man wearing a white blazer and twirling a cane walk in with a group of men wearing black suits.

The biker took out his scroll and it lit up with pictures of various people with lien prices under their mugs. He stopped at the picture of the man's mugshot and highlighted it.

" _Roman Torchwick-Wanted Dead or Alive._

 _Charges: Petty theft, aggravated assault, first degree murder, negligent homicide, smuggling, drug dealing, and suspected as an accomplice for the White Fang terrorist organization._

 _Alive: Five million Lien._

 _Dead: Three million Lien if proven to be the suspect."_

The boy nodded his head and put down the kickstand before stepping off his bike. He grabbed a length of chain that was wrapped around the bike seat and whipped it, causing the chain to snake around his torso like it was sentient.

Before he could make three steps towards the shop, a goon's body was shot through the window with a teenage girl, probably about fifteen, following him. She stood up from her landing with a FREAKIN' giant scythe unfurling from its rectangular state in her hand.

The teen first took note of her hair, with it being black with a crimson red tint. Her eyes were a curious silver color that shined with a youthful innocence and playful intent. Her garb was a red cloak strapped to her shoulders and a black blouse and battle skirt with red trimmings. On her legs were dark leggings and black combat boots with red laces.

All in all, she was a pretty girl with a FREAKIN' giant scythe that looked like it was also a sniper rifle.

" _Sheesh, why can't people just get a single weapon or two and stick to it? These hybrid monstrosities are too complicated for a country boy like me."_ The young man thought with a southern drawl in his mental complaint.

He looked in the shop and saw the rest of the goons with Torchwick standing in the middle of them.

"Okay… get her." Torchwick ordered. The goons hesitated for a second before they charged, some grabbing blood-red machetes from in their suits.

"Bad move, dummy." Blondie whispered.

The four goons charged, aiming to take out her legs, but she jumped and fired a round from her scythe-gun, using the recoil to move around rapidly. The next one pulled out his pistol but was hooked by the scythe and flung away onto a street lamp, taking him out of the fight, before he could fire a shot.

The other two tried to sneak behind her but she fired a round at her front and again used the recoil to shoot back with her scythe cocked back to hammer the goons with the back of it. She slammed it into the gut of one and he was slammed into his buddy, the two were then sent into a parked car, denting it, and into the fourth member of their group, knocking all of them out.

Torchwick sighed in aggravation before stepping out from the store with a cigar freshly lit in between his lips and glaring at the goon at his feet. "You were worth every cent, truly you were." He said sarcastically. He then turned his glare to the red reaper. "Well, Red, I think we can all say that it's been an eventful evening but…" He was interrupted by a loud gunshot that took off half of his cigar.

Both the girl and Torchwick turned their heads to see the biker with a .454 magnum revolver with an attached 30mm grenade launcher aimed at Torchwick.

"Roman Torchwick: Wanted dead or alive. My name is Jaune Arc, humble bounty hunter. Guy like you probably dealt with fellas in my profession before but let me just say that you may be worth more alive, but I figure you're worth enough dead." Jaune declared with a noticeable country drawl and pulled the hammer back on his revolver to take another shot if needed. "So, you're coming with me on your own two feet or I'll drag your cold rotting corpse to the station, your pick."

Torchwick narrowed his eyes at the boy and let his cigar's remains fall to the asphalt. Little red was aggravating enough but this boy, Jaune Arc, a bounty hunter whose reputation made even a guy like himself hesitate before thinking about taking on, was worse. Remembering his Melodic Cudgel and the Dust crystal in his back pocket, he smirked cockily at the boy. "Well, Mr. Arc, you seem to be a well-informed individual. Any chance you could be convinced to turn around and take this little brat away with you?" He asked sarcastically.

Another loud gunshot followed by his bowler hat flying off his scalp was his answer. Wide-eyed, Torchwick decided that he had best play along until an opportunity rose up. He hooked his cane on his bicep and held his hands out to be cuffed.

Jaune narrowed his eyes in suspicion but holstered his revolver.

Torchwick saw his moment and grabbed his red Dust crystal before chucking it at little red. He grabbed his cane and the end of it opened to reveal it was a barrel with the lid to it serving as a crosshair. He fired it at the crystal, aiming for an explosion to take the girl out and serve as a distraction to serve as his escape.

Jaune's eyes widened but he dashed in front of the girl. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to his chest as the volatile gem exploded with great force.

"God dammit, my freakin' ears." Jaune grumbled after the explosion died down.

"Owwww!" The girl moaned cutely as she rubbed her own ears.

Jaune looked her over to check for injuries. "You okay, darlin'?" He asked.

The girl looked up at the bounty hunter and nodded with a tinge of pink on her cheeks. "M-My name is Ruby Rose. How'd you deal with an explosion without getting hurt?" She introduced herself.

"Not the time, young'un." Jaune said and started looking around until he saw Torchwick climbing up a fire escape ladder on a building across the street.

"The hell's he goin'? Ain't no way out from there unless… he can fly." Jaune mumbled before taking off after the crook.

"You okay, mister?" The girl asked the old man who owned the dust shop.

"I'm fine, young lady. Go after him." He said and pointed at Jaune.

She nodded and took off.

Jaune hauled himself up the fire escape and glared at the calm visage of Torchwick as the man stood near the edge of the rooftop. A gunshot drew his attention behind him and Jaune saw the girl shoot up over the edge and land next to him.

He realized she had used a shot to launch herself up to the roof.

"Showoff." He said teasingly.

Ruby grinned at his teasing but turned serious at the sight of Torchwick.

"Torchwick, I guess you chose dead. Fine with me." Jaune declared and holstered his shotgun and drew his two revolvers.

"Sheesh, you two just don't know when to quit. Oh well, Red, your backup sure turned the tables on me. Let's see if my own does the same." Torchwick challenged right before a white VTOL roared into view from behind the criminal.

"Shit! Take out the pilot." Jaune cursed before he opened fire on the cockpit of the air vehicle. Ruby was stunned for a moment but folded her weapon into a rectangular rifle form before doing the same.

Jaune cursed again when their bullets bounced off the glass. _"Damn! If I had my rifle, this'd be a whole different story."_

Torchwick jumped into the vehicle and lobbed a larger dust crystal at the two. Jaune gasped and wrapped his arms around Ruby before twisting around, clearly intent on shielding her with his body again.

The cane-gun fired its round and the crystal exploded but neither of the two were hit with the concussive force nor the heat. They looked at the explosion site and saw a blonde woman wearing a white blouse and a black cape with tight black pants beneath a black business skirt wielding a black riding crop. Before her, was a magic circle emitting a purple light, serving as a barrier against the explosion.

" _Is that Goodwitch? The hell's the deputy headmistress of Beacon doin' here?"_ Jaune wondered.

Torchwick ran to the cockpit and took the controls. "We got a huntress and a bounty hunter, the Arc kid." He announced. The pilot gave him control and stood in the bulkhead.

The figure's upper body was shrouded by shadow but it was obviously a female, if the slender white legs bearing a pair of anklets and glass high heels and red dress skirt were any indication. Jaune's attention was immediately drawn to the burning orange irises glaring at the three as well as the sigils glowing on her clothes.

He immediately holstered his pistols and drew his shotgun. He fired as quickly as he was able but the woman merely deflected the slugs with her bare hand.

He snarled when the gun clicked empty but he just held the gun with a single hand and aimed true.

"Jaune, it's out!" Ruby shouted.

"Don't worry about it." He replied. Jaune's own eyes began to glow a fiery orange behind his sunglasses and the gun in his hand ignited with a strange unholy flame.

"Block this." He said as he pulled the trigger, launching twin giant fireballs at the woman with a thunderous bang.

Torchwick, seeing the projectiles, jerked the throttle to the side, causing the fireballs to miss by inches.

"Okay, enough fuckin' around!" Jaune roared and dropped his shotgun. He grabbed the chain around his torso. He lashed it out and grabbed it a few feet from the end and began twirling it like a lasso.

"YEEEE-HAAAWWWW!" He yelled and shot the chain at the rear propeller. It snared itself around the tail and Jaune started hauling the VTOL in with a surprising display of strength.

"YOU THOUGHT YOU'D GET AWAY TORCHWICK?! REALITY HERE SAYS OTHERWISE!" He roared at the increasingly panicking criminal.

"DO SOMETHING, YOU DAMN WOMAN! I CAN'T KEEP US UP FOREVER!" Torchwick roared at his accomplice as he struggled with the controls.

The woman launched several fireballs at the chain, only for them to do nothing.

"YOUR FIRE AIN'T NOTHIN' COMPARED TO MINE, BITCH! JUST SIT BACK AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT!" Jaune yelled at the approaching VTOL.

The woman snarled at his impudence and held her hand out to him. The ground under the three's feet began glowing orange.

"Oh Shi…!" Jaune was interrupted by Goodwitch swiping her crop at the two teens, sending a shockwave of purple energy at them, knocking the two away from the resulting explosion. Consequently, Jaune's chain was loosened, freeing the criminals.

The VTOL immediately took off away from the pissed off bounty hunter, aggravated deputy headmistress, and miffed teenage girl.

"FUCKING DAMMIT! 3 MILLION LIEN RIGHT DOWN THE SHITTER! WELL THIS AIN'T OVER TORCHWICK! NEXT TIME I SEE YOU, I'M GONNA SHOOT YOU IN THE FUCKING FACE!" He roared at the shrinking vehicle. Panting after screaming so loud, he re-wrapped the chain around his torso and grabbed his shotgun.

"W-Wow, you're a huntress!?" He heard Ruby squealing. He turned and saw the teen gazing at Goodwitch with absolute awe in her eyes, like she was looking at a superstar. "Can I have your autograph?" She gushed.

The woman merely glared at the two in return.

 **(One hour later Vale police station, interrogation room.)**

Jaune was practically steaming as he sat next to a depressed Ruby with Glynda Goodwitch pacing on the opposite end of the interrogation table.

"Your reckless actions could have gotten yourselves or others injured, if not outright killed. Your actions tonight will not go unpunished." She lectured.

Jaune had been on the receiving end of her self-righteous stare since he and Ruby were dragged into the room.

"Well they started it. I was just in my happy place, reading a magazine and thinking about ways to upgrade my baby, thenthesejerkscameoutofnowhereandtriedmuggingmebutIjustfoughtbackwhentheyattackedfirst." Ruby finished her rant in practically a squeal.

Jaune raised a brow and smirked in amusement at her actions but he gently patted her back to console her. "Don't worry young'un. You didn't do nothin' wrong. Really, this broad has no legal reason to keep us here. She's a teacher though, so her first reaction is to lecture and down-trod on what she thinks are rookies steppin' up too early. From what I saw, your only mistake was goin' off a bit half-cocked. But the fact that you're fifteen and that's the only mistake you made tells me you're a prodigy with even more potential than what we've already seen. Don't feel down, y'hear?" He said and gently ruffled her hair.

Ruby blushed lightly and smiled at the older boy's praise.

Glynda narrowed her eyes at the male and pulled out a folder. "As for you, young man. Jaune Arc, Seventeen, bounty hunter with a noted reputation throughout the four kingdoms. You mostly bring in your targets dead but since a majority of those targets are known for heinous criminal acts such as human and faunus trafficking, pedophilia, domestic assaults, and murders, the kingdoms don't generally bother you." She looked at the smirking young man in contempt.

"You kill people without a second thought and profit from it. Even now you show no remorse for your actions."

Jaune smirked at her and huffed in apparent amusement. "Somebody open a window before I choke on all this self-righteousness in the air. You said it yourself, they were slave traders, wife-beaters, and child molesters. They were nothin' more than animals in human skin. The worlds a better place without them. Just like the White Fang, some are misguided, I'll give you that, but the rest are nothin' more that rabid dogs that got a taste for blood and decided they liked the taste, human or faunus, it don't matter." He stated.

Ruby looked saddened at his views but internally, she remembered stories her uncle Qrow told her about monsters looking like humans. This must have been what he was talking about.

"Sadly, that's a fact, young man." A man's regal voice said from behind Goodwitch. She stiffened and stepped to the side, revealing a silver-haired man wearing a pair of black spectacles, a black jacket with an emerald green scarf around his neck and a plate of cookies in one hand and a cane in the other.

"Headmaster Ozpin." Glynda said with a bow of her head.

"Glynda, you neglected to mention that Mr. Arc only takes a portion of the bounty for himself and donates the rest to various orphanages and many charity organizations. The Faunus Rights Movement being chief among them, then again, given his family, that should be expected." Ozpin stated as he placed the plate of cookies in front of the teens.

Ruby looked at the cookies and Jaune a few times before Jaune smiled at her and nudged the plate towards her.

"Ruby Rose…" Ozpin began, getting Jaune's attention due to the apparent interest in the girl's name. "You… have silver eyes." He announced.

Jaune decided to have some fun. "Headmaster Ozpin…you… have nice shades. Mine are better, though." he said as he pulled off his shades, revealing his bright sapphire eyes to the three.

Glynda didn't appreciate his humor even though Ozpin smirked in apparent amusement. "Mind your tone, young man." She practically snarled at him.

"Now now, Glynda. This man prefers that other earn his respect and he only knows us by hearsay. We will earn his respect over time if he takes my offer." The man chided his deputy headmistress.

Jaune raised a brow in curiosity but Ozpin turned his focus on Ruby.

"Now, miss Rose…" He began with Glynda showing her scroll to the two, revealing a video of Ruby's fight against Torchwick's thugs. "…Where did you learn to do this?" He asked, motioning his head towards the video.

"S-Signal Academy." She answered nervously.

"You learned to use one of the deadliest weapons ever designed at Signal?" Ozpin asked skeptically.

"W-Well, it was actually just one teacher." She rebutted immediately.

"I see…" Ozpin said.

Feeling a bit more comfortable, Ruby ate one of the chocolate-chip cookies. It was apparently good, seeing as how she started to practically inhale the plate, much to Jaune's amusement.

"I only ask because I've only seen one other scythe wielder with that skill before. A dusty, old Qrow." Ozpin announced.

Ruby nodded with her mouth full of cookies. "Thash muh unkul!" She declared before realizing her mouth was full and quickly swallowing the sweets. "Sorry. That's my uncle Qrow. He's the teacher I was talking about. I used to be pants with weapons despite how much I love them but now I'm all-HYAH! WTCHAH! HOOAH!" She shouted out exaggerated karate noises while flailing her arms out in a mockery of karate moves.

Jaune couldn't help but laugh a bit at how cute she looked. Ozpin chuckled at her antics as well, though Glynda merely looked at her with disapproval.

"Well, Ruby, why is a young adorable girl like you training at a school for monster hunters?" Ozpin asked.

"Well, I want to be a huntress. I only have two more years at Signal until I can apply at Beacon. My sister starts there this year and my parents taught us to help other people, so I thought 'why not make a career out of it?' I know that the police do good too but being a huntress would just be more exciting and romantic, and cool, and…" She cut herself off with and excited squeal. "…you know?!"

Silence answered her for a few seconds before Jaune decided to speak. "Okay that was the most adorable thing I've ever seen and I've seen a baby bunny rabbit playing with a month-and-a-half old kitten." He announced.

Ruby blushed at his words until they registered in her mind and she inwardly squealed at the mental image of a baby kitten and bunny.

With a smile on his face, Ozpin asked her, "Do you know who I am, Ms. Rose?"

"You're Professor Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon Academy." She answered instantly.

"Hello." The old man greeted with a gentle nod of his head.

"Nice to meet you." She replied.

"Do you wish to attend my academy?" He asked seemingly randomly.

"More than anything." Ruby answered quickly.

"Very well then." He said just as quickly.

Ruby gave the biggest, shiniest smile Jaune had ever seen in his life at that.

"Now, if you don't mind, myself, Glynda, and Mr. Arc have a few things to discuss. You father was notified of tonight's events and is likely waiting for you out front. An officer will escort you." Ozpin said.

As if in a trance, Ruby slowly stood up and walked towards the door.

"Take care, Ruby." Jaune waved at the dazed girl who didn't seem to hear him. "Man, she is out of it." He chuckled under his breath.

Ozpin then focused on Jaune. "Now as for you, Mr. Arc, I'm curious as to how you got tangled in tonight's events."

Jaune shrugged. "As you've seen in my file, no doubt, I'm a wanderer for the most part. I usually just travel around and if I see a bounty or hear of cases in local precincts, I lend a hand or go for the bounty. I saw Torchwick go into the shop, brought up his mug shot with his info and decided to go for it."

"Endangering civilians in the process." Glynda interjected.

Jaune rolled his eyes. "What civilians? It's the middle of the night and I didn't sense anyone else aside from the old man in the store."

"You 'sensed'?" Ozpin asked.

Jaune smirked before his eyes lit up with an ethereal flame. **"Don't pretend you don't know of my power, headmaster. False ignorance doesn't suit you."** Jaune said with a low growl in his voice as smoke lightly teemed from his mouth and eyes.

Ozpin and Glynda's eyes widened. Glynda's in slight fear and Ozpin's in wonder.

"So the tales of the _**Ghost Rider**_ within the Arc family bloodline are more than myth?" He asked rhetorically.

Jaune powered down and smirked at the two. "The whole 'Devil's Bounty Hunter' bit fell out of style centuries ago. It's practically just some supped up Semblance that appears in the Arc bloodline every few centuries. I possess Hellfire conjuration and manipulation, general immunity to fire. Oh, I also learned how to channel angelic fire. It's great to use for healing and when there are civilians in the crossfire. It can't hurt the innocent. Finally, the Penance Stare, to sear the souls of the wicked. Though there's a tale about whether or not the Spirit/Angel is still within the host. When the being awakens, his host will have power equivalent to a God, so long as the power is used to protect the innocent and punish the guilty." He announced.

Ozpin grinned at the young man while Glynda just gawked.

"Mr. Arc, I am in need of your services, if you're willing to hear me out." Ozpin said.

Jaune raised a brow before he leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the table. "Order some take-out and my ears'll be open." He said.

Ozpin smirked and called for the officer to order some food.

 **(Two hours later)**

Jaune was chewing the last bit of his beef lo-mein as he muddled Ozpin's words in his head.

" _The Maiden of Fall is injured and the woman I just fought is suspected of bein' the perp. Torchwick is just a lackey, meaning he's been cowed by this broad, cause he's too prideful to bend over and take it like that."_ He mused before he swallowed his food.

"What I don't get is, what the hell are they doin' with all this Dust they're stealing? Also, the White Fang, while a bunch of pussies and rabid dogs, they're too prideful to work with humans all willy-nilly. Whoever this 'Queen' is, she's very influential, charismatic, and incredibly powerful." He said.

"Did you notice anything stand out during your battle with her?" Ozpin asked.

Jaune paused for a moment and shrugged in aggravation. "When she blocked my shotgun shells, she created a kind of small shield made of crystal or something, just strong enough to block a single shot before it shattered but her control is great enough to generate it on the fly. Her clothes were Dust-infused, rare, but not unheard of. She's got enough of the Fall Maiden's powers to have a surprising control of the fire element, like a candle against a forest fire in comparison to myself but you get the picture." He said.

Ozpin and Glynda nodded at his observations. "We found out it was actually Dust infused glass constructs she used as weapons. It could be her base Semblance, but we can't be entirely sure." Glynda stated.

Jaune nodded at this and continued on. "Anything else you feel I need to know?" He asked casually as he tossed his take-out cup into the garbage pail.

The two shook their heads. "Sadly, that's all we know about her." Glynda stated.

He then turned his gaze to the Headmaster. "Alright then, what is it you want from me?"

"I wish for you to attend Beacon as a newly applying student. While your skills already rival most veteran huntsmen, it would probably do you well to interact with others your own age. Also, I have a young woman that is a possible candidate for the next Fall Maiden if Amber doesn't pull through. I would ask that you befriend and protect her if you are able." Ozpin offered.

Jaune paused for a moment to let this sink in. He did want to become a Huntsman when he was young. The Rider's power manifesting put a kind of hamper on that. Bounty hunting was a nice living, traveling, money, and kicking a lot of ass was always fun but the loneliness was always an issue.

However, becoming a Huntsman would also put him under the scrutiny of the politicians. He'd done a good job of avoiding the Councilmen in charge of the various kingdoms, especially the General of the Atlas military forces, James Ironwood.

Jaune sighed before turning to the two. "Alright, what the hell? My parent's and sisters oughta get a kick outta this. You fill out my transcripts and I'll be there when the new students arrive. I can't promise that I'll be the best student since I learned all that I know from the streets. I know that racism is pretty rampant across the kingdoms, especially with the White Fang fucking things up for their kin. I also know that with teenagers, it's infinitely worse. If I see anyone harassing a Faunus in front of me, I'm gonna put this prick down and I don't care if I'm labeled a 'Faunus Lover' or whatever. I hate bullies and I'll deal with them the only way I know how. Second, I'm bringing my bike. After all, what's a Ghost Rider without his ride?" He asked rhetorically with a grin.

Ozpin nodded slowly after a few moments of thought.

"Another thing; Keep the whole Rider thing on the down low. I've avoided the old councilmen finding out about it and I'd like to keep it that way. Though I made a mistake in Haven when some snooty lady called Winter got up in my face and I "Accidentally" set her jacket on fire." Jaune said as an afterthought.

"Easily agreeable. I try to keep my own interactions with them as minimal as possible, myself." Ozpin stated. He reached his hand over the table and the two men shook upon it.

The three stood and walked out of the precinct, Jaune collected his weapons from the evidence lockup lot as he did so.

Once the three stepped outside, the teachers stopped when Jaune stood on the sidewalk.

"Where is your ride, Mr. Arc?" Glynda asked curiously.

Jaune smirked before putting his right thumb and forefinger in between his lips and releasing a loud and shrill whistle.

He was answered by a loud roar from his bike's engine getting closer quickly. It soon turned over the corner and screeched as it approached the three.

"I love that trick." Jaune announced after the bike stopped in front of him. He straddled the bike and saluted the two before he peeled out towards a motel he had purchased until the ship to Beacon departed.

"Are you sure about this, Ozpin?" Glynda asked when the boy was out of sight.

Ozpin sighed wearily. "Not entirely. But according to legend, the Ghost Rider was known both as the Angel of Justice and the Spirit of Vengeance. If either of these powers were on our side, then we'd be immeasurably better off than before." He said as the two strolled towards a Beacon-issued VTOL that would take them back to the academy.

 **(Two weeks later, VTOL on route to Beacon Academy)**

"Oh, I'm so excited! My little sister's going to Beacon with me." A voluptuous young woman with wild golden hair exclaimed happily as she hugged Ruby. The girl was seventeen with bright lilac eyes wearing an orange scarf and a brown top with puffy shoulders over a yellow tube-top with her own unique symbol that struggled to contain her large assets and a pair of yellow bracelets over black fingerless gloves. Her lower body bore a pair of black biker shorts and brown knee-high boots over orange socks.

"Yang, not so loud. I don't want anyone to treat me like I'm special." Ruby whined as she pushed her older sister off.

"But you are special, Rubes. You got in two years early! You're the bee's knees." Yang exclaimed happily.

Ruby pouted. "I don't want to be the 'bee's knees' I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees." She stated.

"What the hell is this 'normal' that you speak of? I'm pretty sure that people like us've long since abandoned that." A familiar male's voice said with a familiar drawl.

Ruby turned around and saw an all-black-clad young man with a black Stetson hat over his face, leaning against the wall. She gently lifted the rim of the hat and saw a mirthful pair of sapphire eyes gazing back at her.

"Jaune!" She squealed and wrapped the bounty hunter in a hug which he returned happily.

"Glad to see you made it okay, little red." He said and placed his hat on her head, making her grin broadly.

"Whoa, Ruby, care to introduce me?" Yang asked as she ogled the young man that her sister had spoken about so much. _"Tall, blonde, packing some good muscle, and nice weaponry. Sexy country boy drawl helps him too."_ She mentally checked a list in her head.

Ruby drew away and held her arms out like she was presenting a grand prize. "Sorry, Jaune, this is my big sister Yang Xiao Long. Yang, this is Jaune Arc, that awesome bounty hunter that almost nabbed Torchwick." She said.

"Thanks for the reminder. I'm still gonna shoot that bitch in the face when I run into him again." Jaune announced with a growl.

Yang smirked at the boy. "You seem good at holding a grudge." She observed.

Jaune shrugged. "I just came so close but his back-up was a freakin' VTOL carryin' some pyrokinetic broad. I'm gonna have to get some more info for when I tango with them again." He said.

Ruby looked between the two, not liking the seriousness of the conversation, and changed the subject. "So what did the professors want to talk with you about?" She asked innocently.

Jaune actually came prepared for this. "Well, they noticed that I'm a legitimate bounty hunter despite being seventeen, and they felt I could do better with my life so Ozpin offered me a place at Beacon as a new student."

A half, yet, complete truth.

"But what about your records? Did you attend any training schools before now?" Yang asked.

Jaune shook his head. "My family is pretty much a big believer in the "Baptism by Fire" approach. After my aura was unlocked when I was nine, I trained into the dirt to master my Semblance. When I mastered enough at thirteen, I went off to start as a bounty hunter. My folks are very supportive types, so they were over the moon when I was invited."

Both girls accepted his reasons and they turned their attention to the screens littering the walls of the carrier. It was showing Lisa Lavender, the news reporter, telling a story on the latest White Fang assault.

" _The latest protest from the Faunus Rights Movement nearly ended in tragedy when the White Fang launched a surprise attack in the middle of the crowd. The Movement, having replaced the now terrorist organization; The White Fang as a peaceful organization dedicated to achieving equality between human and faunus, was rebuffed by the representative of the Arc family, Jacqueline Arc, and the private military force of the Arc Citadel."_ She announced. The screen showed a symbol in the form of two upward-facing golden arcs. _"The Arc family, having been a well renowned clan of famous and infamous Huntsmen and Huntresses, has stated again that they would not allow any loss of life to those under their protection. Jacqueline has this to say."_ The image was replaced by a young woman in her late-twenties with blonde hair and blue eyes glaring into the camera. She wore a white Stetson hat, a yellow blouse under a white leather vest with two handguns holstered under her arms and blue jean pants over brown boots.

" _This attack has only shown that while the White Fang may declare that they want freedom and equality for their fellow faunus, they already see 'em as equals. And both human and faunus are disposable for them to kill as they like. Well, the Arc family will not let this stand. We at the Citadel are a proud family willing to accept human and faunus as both workers, soldiers, and even leaders. The Movement came to us years ago askin' fer help and we gave them what they asked for and more, so you faunus out there lookin' fer a home, know that our doors are open. And for any of you White Fang f*bleep*ers thinkin' about sending any of your attack dogs after us, remember that the Citadel still legalizes the Death Penalty. Thank you."_ The woman declared passionately with a southern drawl and was met with the cheers of the crowd below her. She stepped off the stage and shook the hand of one of the elder leaders of the Movement before she gently helped the old man with dull silver fox ears into a wheelchair.

Jaune snorted. "Like I said before, a bunch of rabid dogs thirsty for blood. Sis feels the same way, apparently."

"DUDE! YOU'RE THE HEIR OF THE ARC FAMILY!?" Yang screeched.

Jaune covered his ear that the blonde had screamed into. "Jeez, could ya keep it down to a dull roar? Thank you." He yelled as he rubbed his ear.

The image changed to a mugshot of Roman Torchwick.

" _In other news, despite the efforts of the Valean police force, a young huntress-in training, and a veteran bounty hunter, professional criminal, Roman Torchwick is still at large."_

"Oh, screw you too, lady." Jaune barked as he sat down and sulked. The sisters giggled at his pouting face.

"But seriously, you're from such an incredible family like the Arcs? I read you're probably more influential than the Schnees."

Jaune smirked. "Well, we're more popular than the Schnees, I can tell you that right now."

The girls giggled at his reply.

The screen suddenly blinked out and a holographic image of Goodwitch appeared in their place.

" _Greetings, young initiates."_ She said stoically.

"Who's that?" Yang asked.

" _My name is Glynda Goodwitch."_

"Oh."

" _You are among the select few to attend this institution…"_

Jaune proceeded to ignore the woman's hologram.

After a few minutes, the airship approached the castle-like building and the ship docked near the courtyard, where Jaune and the sisters now stood.

"Wow! This place is amazing." Ruby declared.

"It's even more impressive than I thought it would be." Yang said as she looked around.

Jaune said nothing, opting to watch Ruby as she turned starstruck at the various weaponry people around her were armed with.

She seemed to chibify with her eyes being replaced by yellow stars. She practically hovered in place by her sister and pointed frantically at the passing people.

"SIS, THAT GUY'S GOT A COLLAPSABLE STAFF. OH, AND SHE'S GOT A FIRE-SWORD!" The reaper squealed. She was pulled back by Yang grabbing her cowl.

"Ow, ow, owwwww!" She whined.

"Easy there, little sister. They're just weapons." Yang lectured.

Ruby looked at her sister scandalized. "Just weapons!? They're an integral part of us. A part of our soul given form." She gushed.

Jaune smirked in amusement as Yang rolled her eyes. "Then why don't you gush over your **Crescent Rose**?" She asked.

Ruby unfurled her FREAKIN' giant scyper rifle _(Snithe Rifle?)._ "Of course, I love my baby but I love seeing new weapons. They're like people, just better."

Jaune quirked his brow and cleared his throat at her.

"Present company excluded." She squeaked with an impish grin. Yang pulled her attention away by shoving the hat over Ruby's eyes.

"When are you going to make more friends for yourself?" Yang asked.

Ruby looked at her with the eyes of a kicked puppy. "But I have you and now Jaune. Why would I need anyone else?" She asked.

Yang stepped back nervously for a moment and then she was mobbed by a random group of people. "ActuallymyfriendsarehereitwasnicemeetingyouJauneIgottago!" She said rapidly and took off so fast, Ruby was sent spinning away and Jaune's hat was sent flying.

Jaune ran to grab his flying hat. "DICK MOVE, YANG! DICK MOVE!" He yelled at the retreating blonde when he caught his hat. A crash from behind him drew his attention. He turned and saw a downtrodden Ruby being yelled at by a girl his age wearing an eye-watering amount of white and silver, with silvery-white hair in a ponytail on the side of her head and pale blue eyes. The cart and the expensive-looking suitcases scattered around Ruby pretty much told him the entire story.

Jaune instantly recognized Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. He put on his hat and lowered it to cover his eyes in shadow.

He already didn't like the woman's older sister, he couldn't imagine the younger being any more pleasant.

Jaune came up when Weiss was waving around a vial of red Dust crystals in front of Ruby's scrunching up face. He wondered why until he saw the dust particles floating from the lid.

"This is Dust. It's not something you can just wave around!" Weiss lectured.

Seeing what was coming, Jaune rushed forward right when Ruby was about to sneeze.

"ACH-" She was stopped by a gloved hand slapping over her face and pinching her nose.

"Hey, who do you think you are!? I was talking to this brat." Weiss shouted pompously.

Jaune waved away the dust in the air. "I'm Jaune, a bounty hunter, and I believe I just stopped this young prodigy from sneezing, and igniting the airborne dust particles because some white-clad snooty broad was flinging around an improperly sealed Dust vial."

Weiss then looked at the vial in her hand and finally realized that the lid was crooked. But she tried covering her mess-up with her ingrained haughtiness.

"W-Well do you know who I am, you backwoods ruffian?" She demanded.

Jaune raised a brow at her insult but was stopped from answering by another voice.

"Her name is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

Jaune and Ruby turned around to see a pretty black-haired woman with a large black bow on her head. Her yellow eyes, which were complimented by light purple eye shadow, were focused on the book in her hands. She was garbed in a white sleeveless undershirt and shorts and over them was a black sleeveless vest with coattails, exposing her midriff. Her lower body only had the shorts and black stockings that faded into purple as they neared her black high-heeled boots. On her back was a rectangular slab with a ribbon dangling from the gun handle peeking from its top.

Jaune saw her eyes and glanced at the bow and immediately knew she was a faunus in hiding. Respectfully, he nodded his head in greeting and kept silent.

"Finally, some recognition." Weiss smirked at the two.

"The some company known for its shady business dealings and horrible labor." The black-clad girl finished.

"…" Weiss stuttered before she snarled in an unladylike manner and stormed off. Her suitcases reloaded and the cart was being pushed by a servant.

Jaune noticed that she had forgotten something important. "Are you ser-FIX THAT DAMN VIAL, YA ALBINO DONKEY!" Jaune yelled at the fuming woman, who ignored him and continued to stomp off.

Ruby looked conflicted as Jaune chuckled and the two turned to the dusky girl, only to see that she had walked away while he was yelling at Weiss.

"Why is everyone leaving?" Ruby whined from her spot on the floor.

Jaune huffed in amusement and hauled the girl back to her feet.

"Some people are just reclusive by nature, young'un." He said.

The two walked towards the building quietly until Ruby spoke up. "Jaune, I've been meaning to ask, what weapons do you have? I saw your handguns and the shotgun but I never saw you use the blades on your back." She motioned to the two hilts peeking over his shoulders.

The bounty hunter smiled and drew the blades. In his left hand, there was a hollowed foot long Bowie knife with a chainsaw on the back of the blade. In his right was a similar weapon, only it was a two and a half foot long Bowie sword.

"My family never got the appeal to the hybrid weapons but it doesn't mean we never experimented a bit. I got these two plus a modified lever action hunting rifle with my bike named _**'Aquilam'**_. These two are named _**'Argent'**_ and **'** _ **Acies'**_. The shotgun is named _**'Fulmin'**_ and the pistols are named **'** _ **Ortus'**_ and **'** _ **Occasum'**_ " He said and motioned to the weapons respectively.

Ruby reverently took the knife and gave it a few experimental swings. She used her middle finger to pull the trigger under the ring and the chainsaw whirred to life, its teeth ready to shred its enemies to pieces.

Jaune accepted the blade back with a smile and re-sheathed the blades.

The two headed into the main building to begin their lives as Hunters.

 **A.N.: Thank you all for making it through my first attempt at fiction in several years. I just want you all to know how much I appreciate your support over the years and I'm sorry to all those I've let down with my absence.**

 **As for Jaune's weapons, the magnums and the bowie blades can be viewed with google.**

 **Please review. I truly appreciate y'all's feedback.**


	2. Rider's Revelation

Alright, people, here's chapter two of _**Rider of Beacon**_ and I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed typing it.

I don't own _Ghost Rider_ or _RWBY_. I wish I did, then I'd be doing this every day without needing to work for a paycheck.

 **Ch.2 Rise of the Rider**

 **(Beacon Academy, Auditorium)**

Jaune and Ruby entered the auditorium and saw several dozen people gathered around in their own little cliques.

"Jeez, it's just like primary school. You got your dumb jocks…" Jaune pointed to a group of armored burly guys, among them was a redhead and another had a gaudy Mohawk.

"…Your goths…" He pointed to a group of teens wearing all black with piercings.

"…And the airheaded cheerleaders." He gestured to a group of pretty girls ogling the muscled jocks.

Ruby smiled in amusement at his gestures. She looked around and noticed Yang's ever bright golden locks. "Hey, there's Yang." She pointed at her sister.

Jaune nodded and gestured towards his fellow blonde. "You go ahead, I'm gonna look around a little bit." The girl nodded and walked towards her sister.

Jaune looked around for anyone interesting. He spotted the faunus-in-hiding woman reading a book in a dark corner of the room. There was a uniquely pink-eyed young man wearing a green Chinese-styled shirt and white pants with a streak of pink in his black hair being talked to death by a woman with orange hair, a sleeveless white shirt, and a pink mini-skirt. She seemed to teleport all around the boy, talking seven miles a minute.

" _Okay, no coffee for that chick. She might accidentally travel through dimensions."_ He smirked at his random thought.

 **(Those of you who saw RWBY chibi know about what happened with that incident.)**

His gaze then fell upon a very beautiful redhead looking at the stage attentively. Her beautiful scarlet hair was kept from her eyes by a bronze circlet headpiece. She wore a bronze corset-like armor on her torso with a hint of her cleavage visible and black arm warmers with a gauntlet on her left arm. She had a miniskirt that had a red drapery attached to her waist. Her legs had black thigh-high socks covered by bronze greaves and high-heeled boots. He could also see a round shield on her back and the handle to what appeared to be a short sword, both bronze in color.

" _Holy Shit, she's gorgeous."_ He thought and gulped nervously. She must have felt his gaze because she turned her head towards him. Her emerald green eyes locked onto his sapphire.

Jaune froze for a moment then turned away shyly. _"What the hell? I'm not the shy type! Seven sisters should have made me an expert on anything female, why the hell is this one making me turn all googly eyed?"_ He mentally ranted. He chanced another glance at the woman and saw that she was smiling at him calmly with an equally shy look on her face.

"YOU!"

"OH GOD, IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN!" A shrill scream broke the moment between the two. Jaune and the redhead turned their gazes to the sight of Ruby jumping into Yang's arms due to Weiss standing next to her with a stern look on her face.

"Oh dammit, not this bitch again." Jaune grumbled and lowered his hat again. He marched over and caught the tail end of their discussion.

"… And we can talk about boys, like tall, dark, and scraggly, over there." Weiss said sarcastically and gestured towards Jaune.

" _Scraggly? Since when the hell did I look scraggly? I'm all muscle."_ He mentally complained.

But Ruby, ever innocent and socially awkward in the most adorable of ways, didn't get that Weiss was being sarcastic.

"Really?" She asked.

"No." Weiss said and stormed off.

"I already have a bad history with that broad's sister and now she's getting on my bad side." Jaune grumbled.

Yang looked at Jaune curiously. "She has a sister?" She asked.

Jaune was prevented from answering by the appearance of Ozpin himself appearing on stage.

He settled next to the sisters and focused on the opening speech from Headmaster Ozpin.

"I'll keep this brief," He began. "You have come here today searching for knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you finish, you are going to dedicate your life to the protection of the people of Remnant." He stated with charisma resounding through his voice.

Yang and Ruby looked at the man with grins on their faces and excitement in their eyes. Jaune just raised a brow, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"But when I look at you, all I see is wasted energy. A need for purpose and direction. You assume that knowledge will free you from this. But your time at this school, will show you that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." He finished his speech and handed the microphone to Goodwitch.

" _Heh, challenge accepted, Oz."_ Jaune smirked.

 **(Later that Night, Beacon Academy Ballroom)**

"Wow, it's like a big slumber party. I'm not sure dad would approve of the boys, though." Ruby commented as she finished her message to her friends back at Vale. She was currently wearing a black spaghetti top with a heart-shaped Beowolf over the chest and white sleep pants with pink roses on them.

Yang sat next to her sister. She wore an orange tank-top with a pair of black boy shorts as her sleepwear. "I know I do." She purred as she gazed at the young men doing various poses to get the women's attention. Her own was stolen away as Jaune passed by her line of sight. He only wore his hat and a pair of dark gray flannel pants as his sleepwear, showing off his flat washboard abs and chiseled chest as well as his finely sculpted arms that she could imagine being held tenderly within. "Ooh, some I approve more than others. Momma likes." She growled sultrily as she stared at his passing form, completely missing the other males getting dejected at her ignoring them.

Ruby looked at her sister confusedly until she followed her line of sight and caught Jaune's form.

Her face seemed to light up the entire room with how bright her blush was.

Unfamiliar feelings welled up within her chest and caused her tummy to flutter in a weird, to her, manner.

"Well, I am certainly approving your choice in a friend, Rubes." Yang said to her sister as she continued to mentally undress the young Arc scion with her eyes.

Jaune was currently repacking his toiletries until a cute yelp drew his attention away to the sisters having a mock pillow fight. He quickly forced his attention away before his mind sent him into the gutter. _"Damn, pretty girls in sleepwear having sexy pillow fights. Wasn't prepared for the possibility."_ He mentally droned. He shook himself out of his internal reverie a few minutes later when he saw that the two had gathered around the hidden faunus girl who was trying to read.

"Hi, I'm Yang and this is my sister, Ruby. I wanted to thank you for helping her earlier." Yang said with genuine cheer and gratitude in her voice.

"I'm Blake Belladonna. Can I get back to my reading please?" She asked politely.

Jaune sighed when Weiss suddenly stormed over to the group, screaming that other people were trying to sleep.

The bounty hunter grunted and rolled his eyes before he raised his hand. The candle that the young faunus was using as a light source suddenly flickered and the small flame lifted from the wick and shot itself onto Jaune's palm, illuminating his visage eerily.

"I think we all could use some rest. The initiation tomorrow is guaranteed to push us all to our limits." He said.

The girls stared at his feat of pyrokinesis. "Okay, Jaune, how are you doing that?" Yang suddenly asked. Neither she, nor Ruby noticed Blake's cat-like eyes roam over Jaune's illuminated physique with clear appreciation in her gaze. Weiss, on the other hand, had to physically force herself to focus on his face or the flame, being raised as a proper young lady had deprived her of any chance to see the opposite sex and this was admittedly a very tantalizing image.

Jaune grinned. "You'll see, come the morn, my dear. Now, you should all be headin' to bed." Jaune said before clenching his fist, extinguishing the light flame and covering the room in darkness.

 **(Next morning, Beacon ballroom)**

Jaune shot awake, causing his hat to fly to the floor from his abrupt action. He looked over and saw that Yang and Ruby were still asleep. He checked a clock on the wall and noticed that it was still gonna be another hour before everyone would have to awake.

Shrugging, he grabbed his toiletries and decided to head for the shower before checking up on his bike.

 **(One hour later, Hallways)**

Jaune walked through the throngs of students until he saw Ruby and Yang. Ruby was currently cuddling her Crescent Rose like it was a baby as Yang shook her head in exasperation.

"What have I just walked in on?" Jaune asked as he approached the sisters.

The girls smiled at him. Ruby's, as expected, was noticeably brighter. "Jaune, good morning."

Jaune bid them both good morning in return.

"Jaune, help me out here. Ruby needs to break out of her shell and I can't figure out how to explain it to her." Yang pleaded the cowboy.

The man nodded but was drowned out by Ruby. "I do not need to break out of my shell, what are you talking about?" She scoffed.

"She means you need friends to help you grow up, I think." Jaune suggested.

"I do not need other people to grow up! I drink milk!" She declared proudly only to scowl when Jaune burst into hysterical laughter.

"Ahahahaha! I-I'm sorry! That was just so adorable, when you looked so serious." Jaune snickered, making Yang grin at him.

He collected himself and placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Ruby, I understand that you feel anxious around other people. But you may end up partnered with anyone. Here's something my ma once told me. "Strangers are just friends that you haven't met yet." I always look at the world like that unless I'm huntin' some prick, then I have to have a different mindset but that's neither here nor there." Realizing that he was rambling, Jaune decided to wrap this up. "Look, my point is, you may end up with someone besides me or Yang, and you should just be cool with it, because, no matter what, we'll still be here." He said and ruffled her hair before leaving towards his locker.

The sisters watched him go, each with a smile on her face.

"You made a good choice in befriending him. And I don't just say that because he's gorgeous." Yang smirked as her sister blushed in embarrassment.

Jaune glanced at the sheet of paper that had his locker number on it. _"Okay this is weird. I know I didn't put my gear in 636, I would've remembered havin' to count that high."_ He mentally grumbled.

He vocally grumbled when he found the number in between that gorgeous redhead and Weiss Schnee.

Deciding to just get it over with, he put on a casual smile and approached the two.

"Pardon me, ladies, my locker's right in between you." He said and stepped in between them to open the locker.

Weiss looked at him like he was a particularly unpleasant germ and the redhead looked at him curiously.

"Excuse me!? Do you have any idea who she is?" Weiss interrogated the bounty hunter.

Jaune raised a brow at her before turning towards the redhead for a few seconds.

He then turned back to Weiss. _"Okay, what did dad say? 'Be confident! Use that Arc gentleman charm!' Yeah, screw that! Mom's the one who had to propose to him."_

"She's a gorgeous redhead. I'm drawin' a blank on anything else." He said casually. Said redhead's face turned as red as her hair at his compliment.

Weiss looked at him like he was an idiot. "She's Pyrrha Nikos, the celebrity from Mistral?" She said leadingly, hoping for some reaction from him.

Jaune was actually having some fun winding the Schnee heiress up. He also got the redhead's name. He turned back to Pyrrha and nodded his head in greeting. "Hello, Pyrrha, My name's Jaune." He said politely before getting his locker open, revealing _**Fulcrum, Argent, Acies, Ortus, and Occasum**_ and his chain, _**Anaconda**_.

He grabbed his pistols and holstered them before thinking about which weapon to take with him for the initiation. He passed over his shotgun and blades and settled on his chain and the rectangular box it was wrapped around.

" _Eh, what the hell? Might as well use_ _ **Anaconda**_ _and have some fun."_ He thought and grabbed the chain and the box.

"I don't know who you think you are but do you really think that you are worthy to stand in the presence of the highest graduating student of Sanctum Academy?" Weiss interrogated the boy.

Jaune ignored her and turned to Pyrrha. "Could you hold this for me, please?" He asked and held the chain out to her. Pyrrha gently took the chain as he opened the box, revealing twin 12 in. long double edged needle point daggers with black handles. On the butt of each handle was a ring big enough for his fingers to fit through. He held them underhanded and pointed the rings at the chain. Pyrrha yelped and dropped the links of steel when the ends came alive and snapped at the knives, attaching to them. Jaune chuckled good-naturedly as the chain wrapped itself around his torso with the knives dangling at his chest.

"Sorry about that. A side effect of my Semblance creates a link between myself and my weapons, giving them a kind of pseudo-sentience." He said with a grin before brushing the tip of his hat at Pyrrha. "See ya later, ladies." He said before walking out of the hall towards the cliff, where this year's initiation was to take place.

Pyrrha and Weiss watched as he left both with different trains of thought.

" _That boy's nothing but a ruffian. How'd he end up here in the first place?"_ Weiss wondered scornfully.

" _Wow! He's certainly different. And very interesting."_ Pyrrha thought with a smile.

The two followed him after another couple of minutes of preparation.

 **(Cliffs overlooking the Emerald Forest.)**

" _Okay, eye contact determines partners, kill Grimm, get a relic, and go apeshit. I can do all of that NOW HURRY THE FUCK UP AND LET US INTO THE FOREST ALREADY."_ Jaune moaned piteously as the Headmaster and deputy headmistress stood to the side of the lined-up teens.

"Whoa, hold up! How are we getting into the forest anyway?" Jaune suddenly asked.

Ozpin smirked from behind his mug of coffee as Jaune's question was answered by Yang, Ruby, the green boy, hyper girl, and Weiss suddenly being launched by a catapult system underneath their feet.

Jaune glanced down at his feet for a moment before he heard a clank from below him. "Oh, you son of a BIIIIIIIIIIIIII…" Jaune screamed as he, and the remaining students, were launched into the forest. Jaune's hat became dislodged from his head and fluttered innocently to the ground, where Ozpin grabbed it and dusted it off before placing it on his own head.

"Strangely enough, I enjoyed that more than I normally do." Ozpin snickered lightly as Jaune's voice faded in the distance.

"I can't even begin to imagine why." Glynda muttered sarcastically.

"Me neither." Another voice interjected.

The two turned and saw a middle-aged man with slicked back dark hair and blood red eyes wearing a black traveler's cloak fastened to his shoulders over a dirty gray button-up shirt. On his legs was a simple pair of dark jeans and boots with a large mechanical blade strapped to his waist.

"Hello Qrow. I didn't expect to see you here." Ozpin greeted his colleague with a handshake, which Qrow returned.

"I just came to check up on my nieces, Ruby's got Summer's social awkwardness and I just got a little concerned. Plus she told me about this bounty hunter friend she made and I'm a bit curious." Qrow explained as he pulled a flask from his belt and took a swig.

"Well, pull out your scroll and you can see for yourself what he and your girls can do." Ozpin suggested.

 **(With Jaune)**

"OZPIN, I SWEAR TO OUM, JESUS, THE DEVIL, AND EVEN FREAKIN' ALLAH, I'M GONNA KICK YOU IN THE NUTS SO HARD, THEY'LL RUN AWAY FROM YOU AND GROW OUT OF GOODWITCH!" Jaune roared at Ozpin.

(The two professors, having heard that, respectively paled and blanched, especially when Qrow fell over laughing at the image he conjured up in his mind.)

Jaune chanced a look around and saw Yang cheering as she flew away. She flipped around and Jaune saw her bracelets extend to her elbows with what looked like gun barrels extend a bit above her fists. They were proven to be shotguns judging by the sound of the gunshot and by how much faster and farther she shot off.

" _Seriously, a little red reaper with a sniper scythe and now her sister, a blonde bombshell with shotgun gauntlets? What the hell else can happen?"_ He thought.

Only for another bang to resound from his left followed by his chain to be snagged by something, launching him into a tree, where he was pinned by to the top branch by a bronze and red spear.

"Okay, what the hell?" He declared exasperatedly.

"I'm sorry!" A pretty female's voice yelled at him.

Jaune sighed and decided to wait until the spear's owner came to him.

Though he could've sworn he heard Ruby's voice yell 'BIRDY NO!' from the distance. That sounded like it would've been funny as Hell to see.

After about fifteen minutes, the bounty hunter was starting to lose his patience. His musings were interrupted by the bushes below him rustling. He put his hand on his magnum, prepared to draw and fire if it was a Grimm.

It was pretty close, strangely enough, as Weiss stumbled out of the bush.

"Partnered with that child, as if." He heard her grumble. _"Ah, she must've made eye contact with Ruby. Poor girl's gonna have her little hands full with this one."_

He cleared his throat loudly, getting her to look up at him curiously.

"If you wouldn't mind, would you get me down please?" He asked politely with a hint of yearning in his voice.

Weiss just stared at him for a moment before turning a 180 and heading back to Ruby. He heard Ruby yell 'Yay, you came back, now we're besties!'.

"Well fuck you too, ice princess. If a hair on Ruby's head is out of place, I'll light your ass on fire." He said to himself.

"Need some help?" The voice from before asked rhetorically. He turned his gaze and saw Pyrrha looking up at him with a pleasant smile on her face.

"No thanks, I'm actually about to take a nap…I'm lying from the bottom of my soul. Get me down from here cause I lost the feeling in my legs about ten minutes ago." Jaune rambled hurriedly, getting a giggle from the champion.

She raised her hand and the limb was covered by a blackish-grey aura which enshrouded the spear before it wrenched itself from the tree, releasing the Arc scion.

Jaune flipped in midair and landed deftly on his feet. He looked at her with a raised brow.

"My Semblance is **Polarity** , meaning I can manipulate magnetism." She explained, causing him to look at her approvingly.

"That's a hell of a power. Enough training, and I reckon you'd be able to lift a whole city." Jaune mused, making her turn a bit pink at his words.

"W-well, we should get going, Jaune. Do you know which way we should go?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune smirked and pursed his lips, blowing a shrill whistle that pierced through the forest.

 **(With the professors and Qrow.)**

A loud roar ripped the air right behind the three and they turned to see Jaune's motorcycle fly right by them and over the cliff.

They were silent for a moment, until Qrow pointed at the fading motorcycle. "Okay, did that really just happen?" He asked.

The teachers both sighed before Ozpin cleared his throat. "Qrow, I have read Jaune Arc into our situation. He's offered his services to our cause."

Qrow raised a brow in both curiosity and a bit of concern. "You sure about that move, Oz?" He asked.

"Have you ever heard of the **Ghost Rider** , Qrow?" Ozpin asked.

 **(Back with Jaune and Pyrrha)**

Pyrrha gently cleaned her ear with her pinky. "As impressively loud as that was, what was the point of that?"

Jaune smirked before several growls resounded from around the two. They glanced around and saw roughly a dozen pairs of blood red eyes shifting in the shadows. The eyes belonged to a pack of wolf-like creatures with bone-like spikes jutting from their elbows and claws with a white mask on their faces.

"Sorry, Pyrrha. I didn't think about any Grimm that could've heard me whistle. Let alone this many Beowolves." Jaune apologized.

"Don't worry about it. Just don't do it again." She said as she drew her spear and shield.

A loud engine's roar then overpowered the growls of the Grimm before Jaune's bike ripped through the clearing, knocking through several Beowolves and stopping in front of Jaune, who grabbed the rifle stock from the side of the vehicle.

He took aim and opened fire into the pack, scoring a series of headshots, especially with the bullets piercing through the Grimm skulls and into their comrade's own.

Pyrrha was stunned with the motorcycle's seemingly random appearance but recovered nicely. She took her position beside Jaune and shifted her spear into a rifle and unloaded into the pack until they were all dead.

Jaune stared at Pyrrha's weapon as she shifted it back into its short sword form and sheathed it. "Really? A freakin' short sword, a spear, and a rifle? I swear to God, I'm surrounded by overachievers." Jaune grumbled as he holstered his rifle and straddled the bike. "Well, may I give the lovely amazon warrior a ride?" He asked as he put his sunglasses over his eyes.

Pyrrha hesitated for a moment. "U-Um, how did you do that? Is your Semblance granting sentience to everyday objects?" She asked curiously as she slowly straddled the bike behind the bounty hunter.

Jaune paused for a moment. _"Well, she's gonna be my partner for the next four years, so I might as well let her in on my part."_

"Hold on." He ordered before he peeled off towards where he guessed was north. Pyrrha quickly wrapped her arms around his torso. Jaune ignored the heat building in his cheeks at the feeling of Pyrrha's boobs squishing into his back and began his tale.

"My name is Jaune Arc, scion of the Arc family and I'm something known as the **Ghost Rider**. You ever hear the term?" He yelled over the winds and the roar of his bike's engine. He felt Pyrrha shake her head in the negative a moment later. "Before mankind rose from the Dust and waged their war against the Grimm, there was already another race battling the Grimm. They were called Angels of Heaven. They've long since abandoned Remnant to the hands of humanity but there were several angels that were particularly powerful. One of which was **Zarathos** , the Archangel of Justice, charged by the heavenly host to safeguard the innocent after his brothers abandoned Remnant."

"Is this Zarathos a part of your family's history?" Pyrrha asked.

"In a manner of speaking. Zarathos was deceived by his eldest brother, the archangel Lucifer, who fell from grace and rules the realm of the Damned, or Hell. Zarathos was pulled into the deepest bowels of the pit and tortured by Lucifer's demons. After so many eons of agony, Zarathos snapped. His sanity broke and his mission to protect the innocent was turned into an unquenchable thirst to punish the guilty. Lucifer walked over Remnant near the dawn of creation and made deals with particular mortals, infusing Zarathos to them, granting them his powers, as well as a certain influence over Lucifer's domain, namely Hellfire conjuration and manipulation. Before Lucifer, now called the Devil, abandoned Remnant as the rest of his brothers did, he cursed my ancestor Jonathan Blaze Arc with the Rider's powers. For centuries, the Ghost Rider was in my family's care. Over time, Zarathos regained his sanity but also kept his ruthless nature."

"D-does this Devil have any relation to the Grimm?" Pyrrha asked. Jaune was surprised at how well she was taking his revelations.

"Actually no. The Devil and his demons scorned the Grimm since, as evil as they were, they still had souls. Rotted and blacker than the deepest void, but they were still there. The Grimm attacked them on sight as they do to normal humans. The Devil had no way of using or even attempting to control them so he recalled all his demons and abandoned Remnant, leaving the Rider and humanity to their own fates. Anyways, the Ghost Rider was known as both the Angel of Justice and the Spirit of Vengeance and when the Host and Zarathos form a link, they transcend Zarathos' original power limit, damn near into god-like level strength." He finished his tale and let the silent Pyrrha process the info.

 **(With the three teachers)**

"Well, that was informative." Goodwitch commented after the cameras caught Jaune's explanation. It took a bit of filtering to drown out the roar of his motorcycle but the three heard his story in its entirety.

"I think you made a good call with this kid. I think I might've heard of him throughout the underworld. Criminals and other scum talking about a bounty hunter that put the fear of God into them." Qrow commented thoughtfully.

"Well, in any case, theirs is the last team to form up. Mister Lie Ren and Miss Nora Valkyrie paired off just before them. I pity that poor boy for having to live with this hyper little fireball." Goodwitch commented as the image of the boy in green and the hyperactive orange haired girl were shown on her scroll.

Qrow pulled the image onto his own scroll. "I kinda want to slip her some coffee and see what happens." He smirked when Glynda gave him her patented death glare. He switched his screen to another camera, showing Yang and Blake strolling towards the temple with the relics. "Yang's partner is a Faunus isn't she?" He asked curiously.

"Her name is Blake Belladonna, former second-in-command of the White Fang terrorist organization." Ozpin informed him.

Qrow's red eyes widened at this.

Ozpin held up his hand in a placating gesture. "She abandoned her position when she realized that the organization she was born into was turning into a group of terrorists. She gave up vital information that lead to the fall of many White Fang outposts. Others were found and destroyed by Mr. Arc and the private military of the Arc Citadel."

Qrow looked concerned for a moment but nodded anyway. "If you say so, Oz. What do you think about Ruby's partner?" He asked as he switched over to his niece.

"They're both going to have to compromise for their partnership to flourish. Ms. Schnee's upbringing has left her with a sense of entitlement and an arrogant streak that won't make her any friends anytime soon, whereas Ms. Rose's immaturity and naivety will likely bring about conflict between them." Glynda stated honestly.

Qrow sighed, not liking it but that was the truth.

"Oh, it looks like Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos have found the **Deathstalker's** cave." Ozpin announced. Glynda's eyes widened and she switched to the appropriate camera, Qrow doing the same after seeing which one it was.

 **(Back with Jaune and Pyrrha)**

The two teens slid off Jaune's custom Chopper and stood before the ominous cavern before them.

"Yeah, we went the wrong way." Jaune announced.

"Why do you say that?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune pointed to the primitive cave drawings depicting a scorpion-like figure with dead stickmen around it.

"That is a **Deathstalker's** den and I'm willing to bet that people have died to its stinger and pincers. I say 'Hell no' and that we get the hell outta here." He said and moved towards the bike.

"But what about the Deathstalker? Do you really think we should just leave it, knowing that others could be killed by it later?" She asked, causing the Arc to pause mid-step.

He sighed before turning around and marching towards the cave. "Alright. I'll draw it out and we can take it together. It shouldn't be that big." He said and pulled out his handguns.

Upon entering the cave, Jaune was enshrouded by darkness. His other half stirred slightly, knowing there was a Grimm near and that he'd be able to let loose with Pyrrha knowing about its existence. Jaune held up his hand and a fireball ignited in his palm as a source of light.

" _Easy Zarathos. Let's not burn down the forest just to take out a bug."_ He thought, placating the angel's longing for battle.

The spirit within seemed to hum before quieting. The spirit never spoke, for some reason. It only sent fleeting echoes of feelings to share what he felt or yearned for.

Jaune's internal musings were interrupted by a glowing golden object lighting up a few feet in front of him.

Jaune narrowed his eyes and focused, making out a giant shape in the darkness. His eyes widened at the size of the scorpion-like Grimm. "Note for the future: Kick my own ass for tempting fate because it sure as hell _can_ be that big." He muttered before the Grimm shot its pincer out to shear him in half but Jaune quickly leapt back and bolted for the mouth of the cave with the Grimm hissing and snarling as it followed.

"PYRRHA, HIT! THE DECK! HIT THE FUCKING DECK!" Jaune screamed as he neared the entrance with his arms being enshrouded with Hellfire.

 **(With Pyrrha)**

The four time champion kneeled behind Jaune's motorcycle with her sword, **Akuou** in its rifle form aimed at the cave.

Her thoughts were elsewhere though.

" _I got really lucky. Despite Weiss' attempts, he didn't recognize me. Maybe I can actually have a shot at being normal."_ She thought wistfully.

"PYRRHA, HIT! THE DECK! HIT THE FUCKING DECK!" She heard Jaune roar from within the cave

Her musings were interrupted by a flare of orange light from within the cave. Pyrrha quickly retreated behind the bike before a thunderous explosion followed by ethereal flames belched from the mouth of the cave.

Jaune tumbled out, slightly smoking but completely unharmed and bolted for his bike.

"GET ON THE BIKE! WE'RE GETTIN' THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" He screamed as Pyrrha hurriedly straddled the seat behind him and the bike peeled out, away from the burning cavern.

If they had stayed behind even a minute more, they'd have noticed that the Deathstalker had survived Jaune's attempt at cremating it with serious burns decorating its bone-like exoskeleton. It hissed angrily as it followed the sound of the engine as it rode north, towards the temple ruins.

 **(At the temple site, with Yang and Blake)**

"You think this is it?" Yang asked her mostly silent partner.

Blake quirked a brow at her, silently asking 'What do you think?'.

The blonde smiled sheepishly. "Right, dumb question."

Blake rolled her eyes and looked at the so-called relics. "Are these chess pieces?" She asked and observed the small pieces. There were golden castles and gold horse pieces, meaning they were Rooks and Knights, four of each.

Yang walked over and grabbed the knight piece. "How about a cute little pony?" She asked joyously and held the knight piece up triumphantly, much to Blake's amusement.

Their banter was interrupted by the sound of a motorcycle's engine outside and a boy's voice. "This better be the right place or Ozpin's ass-kickin'll be the stuff of legends."

"Is that Jaune?" Yang asked before she quickly walked towards the entrance to the ruins.

Blake's mind flashed back to the image of the shirtless hunk with control over fire that she gazed upon the previous night.

She quickly shook her head and followed her partner to see Jaune with a redhead wearing bronze armor standing next to a beautiful Chopper with a purple gas tank decorated with hotrod flames.

"HOLY CRAP, JAUNE! WHERE'D YOU GET THIS BEAUTY!?" Yang screamed as she circled the bike with an appreciative gleam in her eyes.

Jaune smirked at the gleam in her eyes. "My dad and I were always close. This was our last project together before I left home to be a bounty hunter." He said and rubbed the seat fondly. He turned and saw that Pyrrha had not moved and was just standing there awkwardly. "Yang, Blake, this is my partner, Pyrrha Nikos. Pyrrha, this is my friend Yang Xiao Long and I'm assuming her partner, Blake Belladonna." Jaune introduced the girls before he headed into the temple. Upon seeing the chess pieces, he grabbed a couple of the rooks and headed back outside.

"So, Yang, you see-"

"LOOK OOOOUUUUUTTTTT!" A girl's voice screamed from above him right before something landed on him and sent him face-first into the dirt.

"Mrrrmrrrfurrkrrr!" Jaune's voice came from the small imprint his face had made in the dirt.

"RUBY?" Yang yelled at the sight of her sister sitting on Jaune's back.

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake asked her partner. Yang was interrupted before she could even get another word out by the roar of another Grimm and the sound of snapping trees. They all turned to the trees and saw a giant bear-like Grimm with black fur underneath its bone plate armor and mask. It flailed wildly for a few seconds before something exploded on its back, emitting a pink smoke, before the Ursa fell over, dead. On its back was Nora Valkyrie cheering happily.

She jumped off the dead Ursa and looked at it disappointedly. "Awww, it's broken." She whined.

From behind the slowly dissolving corpse emerged Lie Ren, panting in exhaustion from running after Nora and her 'ride'. "Nora(pant)don't ever(pant)(pant)do that again." He huffed, only to look up and see that the hyper girl had vanished.

"Ooohhhh." Nora cooed at the sight of the rook piece. She quickly grabbed and pocketed one for Ren before grabbing the other and holding it up in the air triumphantly. She then did a little dance with the Rook balancing one her raised foot and then her head.

"I'm Queen of the castle! I'm Queen of the castle!" She sang happily.

"NORA!" Ren yelled exasperatedly.

"Oops. Coming Ren." She yelled.

Yang looked like she was struggling to contain her meltdown.

Blake pointed to the jittery Nora. "Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" She asked innocently.

Yang snapped. Her lilac eyes quickly bled into blood red and flamed erupted from her body. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! CAN EVERYBODY CHILL FOR LIKE TWO SECONDS BEFORE SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS?! She screamed ferociously.

Silence fell over the group except for Jaune and Pyrrha's grunts as they tried to get the former out of the dirt.

Ruby then looked up and gently tapped her sister's shoulder. "Um, Yang?" She pointed up. Said blonde just sighed exhaustedly. Ren huffed as he approached the group and followed Ruby's finger to see a giant bird-like Grimm with Weiss dangling from its talon.

"HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME!? She screamed at her traitorous partner.

"I said 'jump' but she didn't listen." Ruby defended herself.

"She's gonna fall." Blake said innocently.

"She's falling." Ren said in amusement.

Weiss did indeed fall.

"(gasp) Oh, my God, that hur-oomph!" Jaune had freed himself from the dirt, only for Weiss to land on his back, sending him even deeper into the ground. Said heiress was ignorant to the shocked and even outraged looks from the others and Pyrrha respectively as she inspected her nails casually. "My hero." She observed sarcastically.

Her answer was Jaune's middle finger held up by his shaking arm. She scoffed in disgust and jumped off the boy, who immediately secured his footing and jerked his head out of the dirt, showing his red face. "JESUS EFFIN' CHRIST! YOUR BONY ASS KNOCKED MY FACE INTO A ROCK!" He screamed from behind his hands as he stomped his feet in place.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME, YOU HILLBILLY SCOUNDREL!?"An embarrassed and/or angry Weiss screamed but was drowned out by several sources of uproarious laughter.

"Stop laughin' Ruby! You're the first one to knock my face into the dirt."

Said reaper just giggled sheepishly

Uh, guys, don't forget about the giant Nevermore circling above our heads." Blake reminded the group.

"Oh yeah, do we take it out?" Ruby asked as she took out Crescent Rose and unfurled the massive scythe.

"There's no point." Weiss announced as she grabbed the two remaining Knight pieces. "Our mission was to get the relics and return to the cliff. We have the relics, now let's get back."

"Weiss-hole's right. But I don't think leavin's gonna be possible." Jaune announced and pointed to the trees.

The others looked to where he was pointing and saw at least three dozen Beowolves and several Ursa stalking from the trees. Behind the mini-swarm of Grimm was a horribly burnt Deathstalker hissing and chittering as it approached.

"Hey, wait a minute, I killed that guy." Jaune complained as he pointed at the Deathstalker.

"Apparently, not, Biker boy." Yang grumbled and activated her gauntlets. Weiss pulled out a rapier with a rotating dust cylinder and Blake slid her sword and sheath from her back in a kendo stance. Nora and Ren pulled out their weapons, Ren had two semi-automatic pistols with curved blades that covered his knuckles and Nora had a silver and pink grenade launcher.

" _Who the fuck thought giving the energizer bunny from Hell a grenade launcher was a good idea?"_ Jaune wondered as he gawked at Nora's maniacal grin with her weapon primed and ready.

"Anyone else ever see this many Grimm gather this much for so few people?" Blake asked anyone.

Jaune was silent for a moment before he remembered what he told Pyrrha. "Oh shit! Pyrrha, you remember what I told you on the way to the Deathstalker's cave?" He asked.

The Mistral native thought about it. "You mean about Zarathos?" The others just looked at them in confusion.

Jaune silently sidestepped to the left and the many Grimm followed him with their heads.

Sidestep right-they followed.

Three times back and forth-they followed.

"It's official! They're after me. They sense the angel and instinctively know that he's their natural enemy." Jaune announced.

"Jeez, you care to fill in the peanut gallery here, Jaune?" Yang asked.

"That can come later. Just remember that I'm still me and try not to freak out TOO MUCH!" He roared before charging into the horde. The Grimm roared in challenge and several Beowolves lunged towards him. The others began firing into the group to cover him after the shock of his seemingly suicidal actions wore off.

Their shock returned moments later.

Jaune struck the first blow with an uppercut that seemed to incinerate the Grimm as it's body turned to ash from the point of impact. An apparent newborn Beowulf, judging by its small size, jumped on his back and tried biting his head but Jaune grabbed its jaws and slammed it onto another that tried to snap at his neck. "NO PIGGYBACKS! Get off me you-" He punched the Ursa that tried to bowl him over across its snout and yelled before his legs were knocked out from under him and the group buried him in a pile of claws and teeth.

"JAUNE!" Ruby screamed and tried dashing to him but she was held back by Weiss.

Pyrrha was no better as she had screamed in shock and fired nearly hysterically with her rifle.

None could have been prepared for what happened next.

The dogpile exploded and the Grimm were incinerated. The rest backed away almost fearfully at the figure that appeared in the center of the blast zone.

It wore Jaune's biker clothes, except that the shoulder studs had extended into inch long spikes. Its head was just a bare soot-covered skull that was burning in ethereal fire. Anaconda was wrapped around its right hand and the chain glowed like it was superheated.

" _My name is Jaune Arc and I'm something known as the_ _ **Ghost Rider**_ _."_ Pyrrha remembered him saying. "Ghost Rider." She whispered. Due to the silence, the others heard her clearly. The silence was disturbed by the demonic roar of a motorcycle. They turned and saw Jaune's chopper burst into flame and its body turn a molten silver with the headlight being replaced by what appeared to be the upper half of a skull with burning eyes and the wheels ignited with the same ethereal flames that surrounded Jaune's skull.

"J-Jaune?" Ruby asked and stepped forward. She squeaked when the being appeared right in front of her in a burst of speed, quicker than her Semblance could ever be and placed his hand on her head and rubbed gently. Her worries melted away from this simple action.

He put his finger under her chin and lifted her head to look into his void-black eye sockets. **"You… Innocent."** He rasped in a deep demonic whisper.

The roar of an Ursa interrupted the moment as the bear Grimm lumbered towards the Rider. He merely tilted his head and whipped Anaconda, the chain severing the beast in half instantly due to its superheated state.

" **Get to the ruins and deal with the Nevermore. I'll clear away the rest."** He said before roaring a challenge to the remaining Grimm. The Deathstalker shrieked at him as he ran towards it with his chain and blades in hand.

Ruby nodded and started pushing the others to the ruins by the edge of the canyon.

"OKAY, SERIOUSLY, NOBODY'S GONNA ASK ABOUT WHAT THE HELL THAT WAS?!" Yang exploded as she ran with the others.

"Jaune told me a bit about it. I was skeptical at first but seeing is believing I guess." Pyrrha answered.

"What the hell is he?" Blake asked.

"He said it's called the 'Ghost Rider' and it's been in the Arc family for many generations."

Weiss' complexion suddenly paled even further at this bit of news. "ARC!? HIS NAME IS JAUNE ARC!?" She had now realized that she had been insulting the heir of a powerful and influential family that she reluctantly admitted, if only to herself, was more so than her own.

Blake stumbled but caught herself. _"He's the heir of the Arc family. His is the family that's done so much good for my people."_ She thought in wonder.

"Well, you learn something new every day and I'd like to learn something new tomorrow so can we kill the Nevermore, get Jaune and get back to Beacon please?" Ren asked dryly.

There was a unanimous agreement to shelve the whole _'Jaune turned into a freakin' burning skeleton'_ until they had killed the Nevermore.

 **(On the Cliff)**

" **HOLY FREAKIN' SHIT!"** Both Qrow and Goodwitch screamed when they saw the blonde biker combust into the spectral being that was currently lashing its chain and incinerating the surrounding Grimm with its very impressive whip skill.

"Incredible." Ozpin whispered, unbothered by his cohorts lapse in composure.

This was just what they needed for their war to tip in their favor. An immeasurably powerful young Huntsman who fought on the side of the angels.

Figuratively and literally.

 **(Back with Jaune)**

" **I remember when this was easier. Need to use Anaconda in combat more."** Jaune muttered to himself. The swarm of Grimm suddenly stilled and backed away, giving Jaune some breathing room. He knew why a moment later when a giant Beowolf approached him. It was at least three times larger than the average with more defined armor on its ribcage and curved bone spikes that extended from its elbows.

This was the Alpha Beowolf of the pack he was currently fighting.

" **So, you wanna send your pet dog before you get the nerve to take me on yourself?"** Jaune hissed at the Deathstalker that was behind the swarm.

With a furious roar, Jaune dashed towards the Alpha with his chain dragging behind him. The Alpha responded by howling as it also dashed on all fours towards the Ghost Rider.

The two met in the middle with Jaune blocking the Alpha's claws with Anaconda. He quickly wrapped the chain around the paw and released a quick whistle. His Hellcycle roared to life and drove past him, catching the end of the chain on its handle. Jaune waved casually at the Alpha before it was dragged away by the hellfire-powered motorcycle. The Alpha Beowolf comically yelped like a wounded puppy as it was dragged into the forest.

The rest of its pack followed the burning trail after their leader, leaving only a few Ursas and the Deathstalker.

" **Who's dyeing next?"** Jaune asked as a pitch-black link of chain slithered from each of his sleeves eerily.

He whipped the one in his right hand and the sound of the crack caused the Ursa to recoil before they each snarled at him and lumbered backwards away from him.

The only one left was the Deathstalker.

Jaune didn't even waste time with witty banter. He dashed towards the scorpion Grimm and leaped into the air right before the pincers nabbed him. He landed on its head hard enough to crack the plating and lashed the chains on the stinger. He hopped backwards, letting his own weight pull the stinger down slightly before he jerked it down the rest of the way, causing the Deathstalker's own stinger to impale it where Jaune had originally cracked the bone-plating.

The Grimm shrieked in agony for a moment before Jaune whipped out **Acies** and shoved hie entire arm into the beast's mouth. Upon pulling the trigger, the Grimm's head promptly exploded from the explosive Hellfire unleashed into its mouth.

He looked on dispassionately as its body dissolved into black particles. He then turned to the side where his Hellcycle had taken the Alpha. He sensed that his bike was approaching and an unseen grin spread on his skeletal face. His bike came roaring from the trees with his quarry still dragging behind it. As the Chopper passed, he snagged **Aquila** from its holster and held it out single-handed right as the Alpha Beowolf came from the treeline.

Its gaping maw wrapped around the barrel and its face adopted an 'Oh shit!' expression before its head exploded.

Jaune huffed in apparent amusement before the bike came back to a stop in front of him. He cocked his gun and holstered it before straddling the bike and driving off towards his friends.

 **(With the teachers)**

"That. Was. Freakin'. Awesome." Qrow announced slowly.

Goodwitch adjusted her glasses as she stared at the screen on her scroll. "I'll admit, when you said he was as skilled as a veteran Huntsman, I feared you were overestimating his abilities." She said to her boss.

Ozpin merely switched his screen to the image of the remaining applicants. "I somewhat feared the same thing. I guess we all know better now."

A loud shriek drew their attention away from their screens. The three turned around and saw a beautiful black Peregrine falcon with a dark blue-almost black plumage perched on a boulder. Its unusual blue eyes were locked on Ozpin, or rather, the Arc boy's Stetson hat on his head. It seemed to glare at him for wearing what wasn't his.

"A friend of yours, Qrow?" Ozpin asked before turning towards the scroll again.

"OZ, LOOK OUT!" Qrow suddenly shouted.

Ozpin ducked immediately and felt the weight on his head vanish. Upon standing, he saw the falcon with Jaune's hat in its talons diving over the cliff towards the ruins.

 **(With Ruby and co.)**

The group continued running towards the cliffside until they had to stop at the edge of the ruins. There was at giant canyon between them and the cliff.

"Okay… does anyone know where to go to reach the cliff?" Ruby asked to anyone.

Blake pointed at the half-collapsed bridge that extended halfway over the canyon.

"That'll work." Ren said as they all started running towards the bridge.

"What about Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.

"I don't think he's the one we need to worry about." Yang shouted and pointed up to the sky where the Nevermore had spotted them and was currently dive-bombing towards them.

It was interrupted by a loud bird shriek before a black shape slammed into the Grimm's eye, knocking it off course and onto a pillar.

The group all simultaneously raised their brows when the shape landed in front of them, revealing a gorgeous falcon with sapphire eyes looking at them imperiously.

"Oookaaayyyy." Nora said slowly.

Ruby approached the bird carefully and kneeled in front of it. She gazed at the hat for a moment and looked the bird in the eye. "Are you Jaune's?" She asked. The falcon nudged the hat towards her and lifted its right leg, revealing a silver ring on the limb. She tilted her head lower and saw the word 'Cobalt' etched onto the metal along with the symbol of the Arc family.

She stood and turned towards the others. "His name's 'Cobalt' and he's Jaune's birdy." She announced happily.

Said falcon gripped the hat and flew a bit into the air before dropping it onto the little reaper's head and perching on her shoulder.

"Wow, Jaune's more interesting than I thought." Pyrrha said as she approached and gently stroked the bird's chest. The falcon chirped and nipped her fingers playfully.

A loud monstrous caw drew everyone's attention to the Nevermore. They saw that its eye was closed with a stream of blood oozing from it.

The beast took flight and circled the group. Each of them drew their weapons and Cobalt shrieked a challenge before taking off after the airborne Grimm. The Nevermore answered the challenge and tried to snap at the falcon but Cobalt was a Peregrine, the fastest known bird in the world for a reason. He zipped around the Nevermore and carved shallow gashes along its body with his talons.

The teenagers unleashed their own salvo of gunfire. Nora cackled like a deranged witch as she fired off her heart-stamped grenades.

Their salvo was interrupted by the roar of a demonic motorcycle that instantly filled their hearts with relief, Pyrrha in particular.

The Ghost Rider came roaring from the trees and stopped the bike in front of his comrades. **"What'd I** miss?" He asked as he shifted back to normal midsentence with his bike doing the same. He was immediately glomped by Pyrrha.

"Oh Jaune, thank Oum you're okay." She said onto his shoulder. The Arc scion just held her for a moment before he gave everyone else a thumb up and a cheesy grin until he saw Ruby.

"Ruby, where'd you get my hat?" He asked confusedly.

The red reaper just pointed up to the falcon that was fighting the Nevermore.

"Cobalt? The hell's he doin' here?" He asked and drew his pistols. He let out another shrill whistle and the falcon retreated to Jaune's shoulder where he began to preen his hair.

Jaune gently stroked his falcon's chest as he observed the Nevermore with a critical eye. His gaze darted from the Grimm to the cliff. He then looked at Ruby and Weiss for a moment before he grinned confidently.

"Ruby, Weiss, get over here. I got a plan." He yelled. Ruby zipped over and looked at her friend expectantly while Weiss did so more hesitantly, obviously she was wary about his earlier transformation. "Listen: Weiss, how good are you with your **Glyphs**?" He asked the Schnee heiress.

She scoffed haughtily at him but answered. "I'm very confident in my abilities." She said.

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Not what I asked! Can you set a path for Ruby to drag the Nevermore on the Cliffside?" He asked.

"Drag?" Ruby asked.

"Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and myself will draw its attention to give you, Weiss, Blake, and Yang the opportunity to hook that thing with your Crescent Rose and take it up the cliff. Give it a nice clean shave, Rubes." Jaune gave the girls a thumbs-up before taking the group with him to the Nevermore's line of sight.

"Everyone, just keep firing. Give Ruby time to get set up." He shouted as he started unloading on the bird Grimm. His group began doing the same thing while he saw Ruby loading herself on a black ribbon, likely Blake's, with Weiss' glyph at her feet and Yang behind it with her fist cocked back. The slingshot fired with Ruby aiming for the beast's neck. The Nevermore turned its head towards her but Jaune had fired one of his 30mm grenades into its other eye, stunning it long enough for Ruby to hook her Crescent Rose around its neck and carry it to the cliff. A line of white snowflake glyphs appeared, making a path to the top of the cliff and Ruby ran up, firing Crescent Rose to keep her momentum.

Upon reaching the top, she fired one last round, the recoil sending her up and beheading the Grimm, signaling their victory.

Jaune smirked and twirled his guns before holstering them. "Okay, anyone know how we're supposed to get up there?" He asked as he pointed to the edge of the cliff where a grinning Ruby waved excitedly at them.

 **(Roughly a half-hour later)**

" **C** ardin Winchester, **R** ussel Thrush, **D** ove Bronzewing, and Sky **L** ark. The four of you retrieved the black rook pieces. From this day forth, you shall be known as Team **CRDL** , led by Cardin Winchester." Ozpin announced as the four jock-looking boys left the stage and Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora took their place.

" **J** aune Arc, **N** ora Valkyrie, **P** yrrha Nikos, and Lie **R** en. You four retrieved the gold rook pieces. From this day forth, you shall be known as Team **JNPR** , led by Jaune Arc." The four bowed with Jaune and Cobalt giving the Headmaster the nasty eye. Said headmaster sweated lightly, remembering what Jaune promised after he was launched off the cliff.

He cleared his throat when Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang stepped onto the stage. " **R** uby Rose, **W** eiss Schnee, **B** lake Belladonna, and **Y** ang Xiao Long. You four retrieved the gold knight pieces. From this day forth, you shall be known as Team **RWBY** , led by Ruby Rose." Ozpin finished his announcement and the audience applauded.

Ruby had frozen on the spot, unable to believe that she, the youngest person at Beacon was made the team leader. Her state was broken by Yang cheering and hugging her little sister, causing Jaune's hat to fall off again. The bounty hunter just dusted the hat off and put it back on his own head. He looked up and met Ruby's eyes and gave her a respectful nod with an encouraging smile. He was rewarded with her own nervous but determined smile.

" _Well, this is the beginning. Let's see where the road takes me from here."_ He thought as he turned back to his own team, ready to begin their adventures.

 **And that's a wrap, folks. I'm sorry to say that I won't have an update schedule. I normally just start typing when I'm able and my muse hits me, and it's starting to taper off since the season changed and I'm getting sick but nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and feel free to review.**


	3. A Rider's Tolerance

**Well, people, this story took off quicker than I thought possible. I'm proud to present Chapter three.**

 **Also, I'm sorry for how long this one took. The writer's block, holidays, and my big sister's wedding kinda took my attention away.**

 **On a personal note, I now have a brother-in-law as well as a niece that will be born this year. HOORAAAY!**

 **I don't own RWBY or Ghost rider.**

 **Ch. 3: A Rider's Tolerance**

 **(Beacon Academy, Dorm room of Team JNPR)**

"Okay, first on the agenda is _'I-build-us-bunk-beds-cause-these-things-take-up-too-much-damn-room'_ cause there ain't any room to move in here." Jaune announced from his seat on his bed. He had decorated his part of the room with a simple picture of his family. That had required that he point out that he did, indeed, have seven older sisters.

" _Either, your dad's got mistresses that he hasn't told you about or your mom's Wonder Woman."_ Were Nora's words when his explanation finished.

Ren had sighed in exasperation and Pyrrha's lips were pursed and her shoulders shook from her attempt to stifle her laughter.

Her obvious inexperience in this situation was apparent.

But nonetheless, Jaune's mother was now the role model of both girls and would also be for team RWBY when this story was told to them.

Anyway…

"Okay, we got classes in the morning and I have heard nothing good about this Peter Port character." Jaune announced as he sat his hat on the bed post and laid on the mattress.

"So what were the bad things that were said?" Nora asked from her bed.

"The words "Loud", "Blowhard", "Kinda pervy", and "a Walking Ego" were used when describing this guy." Jaune answered before flicking off the light switch, bathing the room in darkness.

( **The next morning, Beacon Academy Grimm studies classroom)**

"FIENDS! MONSTERS! AND PROWLERS OF THE NIGHT! The Grimm that haunts the world are also known by these titles! But to me, and one day the rest of you, they are merely prey… Why, when I was a young handsome man in my prime-" Boomed the voice of the Professor, Peter Port. The man was dressed in a sharp red suit and appeared to be in his fifties with a solid gray head of hair and a bushy moustache that completely covered his mouth.

" _I gave up full-time bounty hunting for THIS!? Oz, we gotta have a talk about how much I get paid for this shit."_ Were the thoughts of one Jaune Arc. He was currently sitting in his place next to Pyrrha, whom he was fighting not to stare at since she filled out the Beacon Academy girl's uniform so well and the black leggings that accentuated how long her fine legs were was not helping his battle.

He currently wore the male version of the uniform with his chain wrapped around his torso and his hat and gloves.

He tore his focus off Pyrrha's body and looked at her face, only to raise a brow at the glazed look in her eyes. She was apparently as bored as he was. Ren just took his notes with a completely blank look on his face while Nora the Norlax snored away.

He glanced at their sister team and Team RWBY didn't disappoint. Blake was bobbing her head as she fought off sleep due to the man's boisterous and long-winded tale. Yang glanced at him, apparently sensing his gaze and winked flirtatiously with a sultry smile at him before turning back to the teacher, only to recoil in apparent disgust when the man winked at her. Weiss was dutifully taking notes, trying to appear as the model student. Ruby, who looked utterly adorable in the girl's uniform especially with her cloak fastened to her shoulders, was amusing herself by balancing her pencil, her textbook, and an apple ( _Where the hell did she pull that thing from_?) on her index finger with her eyes crossed and in her other hand was a crude drawing of their teacher with the words _'Professor Poop'_ written beneath it.

He nearly pierced through the leather gloves and drew blood as he bit his hand to stifle his laughter. Hearing the disturbance, Pyrrha looked at him with concern before he gently grabbed her head and turned it towards Ruby. She saw Weiss glaring at Ruby with utter contempt in her eyes but she then stifled her own giggle at the sight of Ruby's antics.

"…But the Grimm were no match for my wit and courage. Now who among you feels that you are worthy of the title of mighty Huntsman and Huntresses?"

"I do, sir."

"Right here, moustache."

Weiss and Jaune raised their hands simultaneously. Weiss glared at the boy but he merely smirked confidently at the teacher.

"Hohoo, we have two volunteers today! I think we have enough time for a couple battles. Go change into your combat gear and return." The teacher ordered.

The students did and they returned to the sight of Professor Port standing next to two cages one larger than the other. Jaune strangely was unarmed, without even Anaconda wrapped around his torso.

"You go ahead, Weiss. I'll wait my turn." Jaune stepped aside and crossed his arms as the woman didn't even pause in her step.

" _Okay, the Weiss-hole's in a bad mood today."_ He thought with a frown.

The woman drew her rapier and stood a few yards away from the cages with a steel-cold look in her eyes.

Her teammates showed their support in their own way. Yang held up a 'Go Weiss' sign, Blake waved a tiny red flag with 'RWBY' printed in white, while Ruby cheered her on.

"RUBY, SHUT UP! I NEED TO FOCUS!" Weiss screamed at the girl, who seemed to wilt and sink into herself.

" _Okay, ass-kickin' followed by a stern talkin' too."_ Jaune thought with a nod to himself.

"Young Ms. Schnee, you will be facing a Boarbatusk. But before we begin, Mr. Arc, where is this particular Grimm's weak spot.

Jaune thought about it for a moment. "If I could give my personal opinion, I'd say light the bastard up. All problems can be solved when you set it on fire." He jokingly held up his finger in a lecturing manner.

A few 'Amen' were heard by the students.

Prof. Port chuffed in amusement before looking at Jaune semi-sternly.

Jaune smirked but relented. "I would say that this Grimm's stomach is its personal weak point since its soft and there's no bone plating. I'd also say that every Grimm's neck is vulnerable, since the bone armor wouldn't let them turn their heads. So stab the throat or decapitate the Boarbatusk if you get the chance, otherwise flip it over and stab its underside." He said.

Peter was actually impressed. He noticed that the lad took no notes but he already knew this barely known fact about the Grimm's weak point as a species.

"Very good, Mr. Arc." Peter praised the boy before hoisting up his weapon, a musket with axe blades at the stock, and chopping off the lock to the smaller cage. "Let's see if Ms. Schnee puts those facts to use."

The bars fell to the ground with an ominous clang, revealing multiple glowing red eyes. The Grimm came into the light revealing it to be a warthog-like Grimm with four blood red eyes and upward-facing tusks, hence the name.

It squealed loudly before rolling itself up into a ball and speeding towards the heiress, who barely dodged to the side quick enough. The Grimm veered to the right and rolled back at Weiss, who adopted her normal stance in preparation for its attack.

Jaune watched the fight with a critical eye. He was unsurprised to see Weiss create a dust barrier to knock the Grimm back. The beast shook its head to clear it before it rolled at the girl again.

Upon hearing Ruby cheer for her teammate, he expected the Schnee to ignore her. Instead, she yelled for Ruby to shut up again and got a Grimm wheel to her gut for her troubles.

" _Typical Schnee 'Superiority-complex' at work. She feels jilted since Ruby was made team leader instead of her. I'd better corner her after this and give her a dressing down, for whatever good'll come of it. She might say that I became team leader since I'm an Arc."_ Jaune thought with a grimace.

Weiss regained her footing just in time to dive out of the Grimm's way again. She straightened herself out and focused. She watched as the Grimm got closer and suddenly stabbed her Myrtenaster into the ground, creating a Glyph beneath her feet. Another appeared between her and the Boarbatusk and it generated a single spike of ice that impaled the Grimm through the throat, killing it instantly.

All was silent for a moment before the class all applauded the heiress for her performance.

"Very well done, Ms. Schnee. Though, you could do well to learn to ignore outside distractions and keep a level head in the midst of battle." Port criticized the girl. He had noticed the animosity that she showed to her team leader and had easily deduced the reason for her attitude. He then turned to Jaune and nodded his head to the large cage that held a Grimm whom snarled viciously in the shadows of the cage.

"As for you, Mr. Arc, I hunted this one several years ago and I think it'll provide a decent challenge for one such as you." He said challengingly.

Jaune raised a brow in curiosity but shrugged off his leather jacket, revealing his muscular arms in his sleeveless black T-shirt as well as a knife sheathed at his lower back, revealing that even without his normal weapons, he was still armed. He blew a quick shrill whistle and tossed the jacket in the air, where a black blur snatched the article out of the air and carried it to Pyrrha, revealing it to be Cobalt. The falcon chirped at her before hopping up to her arm and settling on her shoulder.

The Arc tugged on his gloves, making sure they were snug on his hands before adopting a boxing stance. "Alright, let's see what you got, teach." He said.

The Professor's smirk was invisible as he cut the lock and a giant black mass dashed from the cage, revealing a giant Beringal.

The Beringal was a gorilla-like Grimm, renowned for their incredible savagery and strength. Like the other species of Grimm, the Beringal grew more intelligent with age, but their tempers and savagery grew as well. This one seemed to be at least a few decades old.

"Come on, big fella! Let's settle this mano a mano." Jaune flexed his arms and rolled his shoulders before he charged at the monster.

The ape-Grimm roared at him and raised its arms to hammer the bounty hunter. It brought its arms down on Jaune and he blocked them with his forearms. The floor shattered, leaving a spider-web pattern of cracks beneath him, but Jaune still didn't buckle.

"After I kill this thing, we need to have a word on your teaching methods." Jaune grumbled before he shoved the Grimm's arms away. He used the opening to deliver a powerful haymaker to the monster's torso, making it hunch over. He then threw an uppercut into its chin, making its jaws clack loudly as it reeled back. He then rushed forward with a right hook to its face. "FUCK OFF!" He yelled as he unloaded a barrage of punches to the sides of its face.

Then a left to the body.

Right to the head.

Kick to the chin.

Right hook to the ribs.

Roundhouse kick to the side of the head.

"THAT ALL YOU GOT!?" He roared as he jumped up and socked the Grimm's face with a powerful fire-laced punch that warped its face before it exploded and the Beringal went flying into the wall and then to the floor. It snarled weakly and tried to stand.

Jaune approached the beast slowly and drew his blade, revealing it to be a pitch-black kukri knife with a dark gray skull etched on the blade and a ring for his index finger to slip through. He twirled the knife on his finger before he gripped the handle and brought the blade down on its neck, decapitating it and ending the fight.

He huffed in satisfaction before he sheathed the knife and bowed to his cheering audience.

"Very well done, Mr. Arc. You display the same level of skill I wielded in my youth. I can guarantee that one day you'll be an excellent Huntsman. Class dismissed." Port yelled to his students who immediately hurried to the doors. Jaune's team, as well as the RBY of Team RWBY stayed back to wait for him.

Pyrrha smiled at him with his jacket in her arms and Cobalt on her shoulder. "That was incredible, Jaune. I don't think even I could've dealt with that breed of Grimm so easily." She complimented her team leader.

He smiled bashfully back as he took his jacket and slipped it on. "That was actually a lot of fun. I mean, I know I was supposedly fighting for my life but wailing on a giant punching bag lets me lose all kinds of stress." He smiled serenely as Cobalt jumped from Pyrrha's shoulder onto his own.

Ren approached his leader and gave him a casual look over. "You look like me after I spent a weekend at a spa resort." He calmly stated.

Everyone looked at him with a raised brow. "What? I won tickets from a radio contest." He said defensively.

"There's a story behind that and I'd love to hear it but I think we need to get to our next class. Weiss, Ruby, stay behind with me. Professor?" Jaune turned and yelled to get their teacher's attention.

"Yes Mr. Arc?" He asked from behind his desk.

"I Kinda need to have a heart-to-heart with these two. You mind serving as a ref?" He asked, getting a raised brow and a nod from the braggart teacher.

The others hesitantly left to Ms. Goodwitch's class. Pyrrha took the longest until Jaune gently pulled her closer and whispered his plan in her ear, making her turn a bit red at the feeling of his breath on her skin. She nodded and followed the rest of her friends.

"I don't have time for this." Weiss scoffed and walked away, only for Jaune to raise his hand towards her and a black length of chain to launch from his sleeve and wrap around the heiress. He yanked her back and restrained her to a seat. He then grabbed another seat and set it next to the Schnee. He looked at Ruby and motioned for her to take a seat, which she did timidly.

"Alright! I and everyone with a brain in their skull can tell that there's some hostility between you two. I want to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand and someone gets killed." He announced.

"W-Wh-What hostility!?" Ruby squeaked.

"Not from you, Rubes. Your part of this is the lesser priority. Weiss on the other hand, is the bigger problem." He said and lowered his head to the heiress' level. He met her frigid glare with his own calm sapphires. "You wanna explain to the class why you're being such a frigid bitch to your team leader?" He bluntly asked.

Weiss only glared at the Arc scion with absolute loathing in her eyes. Professor Port cleared his throat expectantly, revealing that he expected to hear the answer as well as Jaune.

"This immature little brat shouldn't be team leader! I trained for years to perfect my technique and posture and I'm passed over by a child that doesn't even know how to properly fight!" She exclaimed heatedly.

Jaune didn't react, even when Ruby started to tear up slightly. Her wish was for her team to all get along and get stronger together but Weiss was making it difficult with her attitude.

"Okay, let me proceed with your metaphorical ass-kickin'." Jaune stated as he placed his hand on Ruby's shoulder, letting Cobalt hop onto it and rub the girl's cheek with his head as his own means of comfort.

"I can see, if only a little bit, where you're coming from. Given who your father is, you were raised to believe that all others are beneath you and that you're entitled to anything you want. Don't give me that look!" He shot out when her glare turned back to him. "I met Jacque Schnee at one of his "Charity" balls and he should be thankful that I didn't know I was the host of the Rider at the time or you'd be a full on orphan right now. I could smell that man's greed and ego even at seven years old without Zarathos' ability to sense the evil in a person's soul. The Schnee Dust Company was a respectable industry until he became the CEO and Head of the Company. That's when your family's and your company's name went straight down the shitter. He raised you as a pampered princess and you took to it like a fish to water. I'm willing to bet that you becoming a Huntress-in-training is the closest thing to rebellion that you've ever done in your life." He gauged her reaction and was satisfied when she shifted her gaze to the side.

"Look, my point is that you feel entitled to the position of team leader when you haven't earned it. Ozpin was watching us with hidden cameras and wasn't likely impressed with your attitude at the time." Jaune then turned to Ruby, who was calmed down by Cobalt's comfort but tensed when Jaune turned to her.

"Ruby is fifteen years old and socially awkward. Of course she's gonna be immature. She finally has new friends to hang out with and she's gonna try her best to connect with you all and make you laugh." He gently pet the girl and ruffled her hair, making her blush and smile slightly.

Jaune looked at Ruby. "Your heart's in the right place, young'un, but there's a time and place for everything. It's your job to know when that time comes."

He turned back to Weiss. "You don't have the empathy or the attitude to be team _**leader**_ , Weiss. But you do have the potential to be the best team _ **mate**_. Be the voice of reason when she gets illogical and the person she can go to for advice when her sister isn't around and she needs it." He then raised the chain and it loosened around Weiss before slithering back into his sleeve. "Okay, end of lecture." He announced and left the room after collecting Cobalt and thanking the teacher for the tardy note for Goodwitch and the use of the room.

The two still sat in their seats, looking thoughtful after Jaune's makeshift lesson.

Ruby took a deep breath and turned to her partner but was interrupted before she could even speak. "Look, Ruby, I know he was right. I've been a horrible teammate. He was also right about how I was raised. I can't argue about what he said about my father, either. Look, if you try to be the best leader you can be, I'll do my best to be the best team mate I can be. Deal?" She asked.

Ruby gave her a hug, nearly squeezing the life out of her as an answer.

"Hohohoho!" Port's laugh startled the girls out of their moment. "The Arc family strikes again. I'm glad to see your issues resolved before they got out of hand, my dears." He said and handed the two their tardy slips for Goodwitch's class. "The two of you have much to discuss after your classes and I can only see you getting stronger from this. Off you go." He shooed the girls away and they ran to reach their next class. Port sat at his desk and picked his scroll up off the desk. "Did you hear that, old friend?" He asked.

" _Indeed, Peter. I can't tell you how proud we are."_ A woman's voice answered.

"What he said about Jacque Schnee, though, was any of that true? I haven't been much concerned over the political climate of the world and don't really know the specifics of its affairs."

" _You have no idea, Peter. Jacque married into the Schnee family and quickly took over the business. Ever since, their reputation and the company's sank several dozen leagues beneath the sea like a boulder. From what we've seen, the man's a tyrannical and controlling sort. His eldest daughter, Winter, left to join the Atlas military just to get away from the man and his son, Whitley hasn't been seen much in public. But from the few times I met him, he's a devious little bastard. He seemed level-headed and laid-back but I could see a lot of his father in his eyes only he was MORE self-serving and conceited. If that's the case, it's best that Jaune never meet either Jacque or Whitley or the Rider will make himself known to them."_ She said.

"Hmm, I understand, Marianne. I'll keep an eye on your son, though he doesn't seem to need much of it." He said with a smirk.

" _Heheh. We appreciate your help, Peter. I have a meeting to get to so you take care of yourself and for the love of God, tone down your boasting when you tell your stories. I'm on the other side of the damn continent and I could practically feel Jaune's eyes rolling."_ Marianne Arc, Mother of Jaune Arc and the seven Sisters of Arc, and the General of the Arc Citadel Military Force said teasingly and disconnected the line.

Peter chuckled in amusement at his old friend's antics and pocketed his scroll before heading out of his classroom. He had a report to make to Ozpin after all.

 **(Prof. Goodwitch's classroom)**

"… as Huntsmen and Huntresses, you will need to know how to face both Grimm and your fellow man." Jaune heard Goodwitch lecturing her students as he entered the classroom.

She paused and regarded the young man. He quickly ran up and handed her his tardy slip before rushing up to take his seat next to Pyrrha. "I nipped it before it could get too bad." He whispered to her before focusing on the lesson. She smiled at this bit of news, happy that her friends wouldn't be fighting like that anymore.

Before Glynda could continue, the door burst open again revealing Weiss and Ruby, who handed her their tardy slips and took their seats.

Glynda sighed and continued. "For today's lesson, you will be sparring with your classmates in random order but you will not be permitted to use your own weapons. Sometimes, you will need to utilize another weapon if your own is out of reach or broken. I wish to see if any of you are capable of improvising with a weapon that is foreign to you." She announced.

Ruby's eyes glimmered at the thought of experimenting with another weapon but then she looked worried at the thought of another wielding her baby.

"The first match will be between Ms. Pyrrha Nikos, wielding the weapon of Mr. Jaune Arc against Mr. Sky Lark, wielding the weapon of Mr. Dove Bronzewing." Goodwitch announced.

Pyrrha stood and left for the women's changing room and Sky did the same for the men's.

A little while later, Pyrrha stood in the small arena across from Sky. He was a young man with dark blue shoulder-length hair, dark blue eyes and a cocky smirk. His garb consisted of dark gray armor with lighter gray edges over a black V-neck shirt and pants.

He normally wielded a halberd in battle but he was now wielding Dove's dual short sword/revolver.

Pyrrha held nothing in her hands while Jaune stood outside the arena talking to Glynda. "Um teach? I have a lot of weapons, so which one is she using?" He asked curiously.

Glynda blinked at his question, admittedly having not thought of that. "Um… I believe your chain will suffice. Anaconda, was it?" She asked. Jaune nodded and whipped the length of metal rings. He lassoed it and tossed it to Pyrrha. "Given your Semblance, that's probably the best weapon to use anyway." He said.

Pyrrha grabbed the chain and whipped it a few times to get a feel for it. It was foreign, but not uncomfortable. It actually felt warm in her hands, like the weapon accepted her as a wielder. _"Most likely because it's Jaune's. He did say that his weapons were pseudo-sentient."_ She mused with a small smile.

"So, sweet cheeks, how about when I win, you come and celebrate with me and the boys?" Sky asked with a slick grin.

Pyrrha raised a brow as the smile vanished from her face and was replaced by a slightly disgusted scowl. The look in his eyes reminded her of the many men who leered at her when she was in Mistral.

"The battle between Pyrrha Nikos and Sky Lark will end upon my say so, when your Aura meter enters the red zone, verbal surrender, or one of you is rendered unconscious. Begin!" Glynda declared. The large screen on the wall lit up with a picture of the two combatants with a bar representing their aura filled with a green line.

Sky took initiative and attacked first by firing the revolver three times. Pyrrha charged onwards with Anaconda covered with a dark gray energy. The chain whipped forward and deflected the bullets with ease. She swung the chain around and whipped it at Sky. He swiped at the chain with his sword but Pyrrha kept her attack going, not giving him a chance to counter.

Her friend's cheers could be heard over the other students. "GO P-MONEY GO! Yang shouted with Ruby and Nora clapping and cheering just as loudly. Blake, Weiss, and Ren were calmly observing but each gave their support in their own way. Blake had made another flag with JNPR printed on it and she waved it calmly. Ren and Weiss were silent but they gave nods of their own encouragement.

Jaune merely smiled confidently at her, knowing that she would win even with an unfamiliar weapon.

Sky had knocked the spike at the end of the chain away and dashed towards the champion. He drew his sword back and swung but Pyrrha lightly used her Semblance to divert the weapon only slightly and grabbed the chain with both hands to knock it away. She used her momentum to whirl around and elbow him across the face and jump away to get some distance. She glanced at the screen and saw that Sky's aura had dropped down to roughly 85%.

"PYRRHA! STEEL KNUCKLES!" Jaune suddenly shouted. She looked at him with confusion until he made a gesture of wrapping something around his forearm and around his hand which then clenched into a fist. Her eyes widened in realization and she nodded at him with a smile.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Sky screamed and ran at Pyrrha. His lip was split and bleeding slightly. He swung his borrowed weapon wildly at the champion, who gracefully dodged each swing. Taking Jaune's advice, she used her Semblance to make the chain wrap around her forearm and her fingers before clenching it into a fist. Sky lunged at her with a stab, which she sidestepped and threw a straight punch that impacted directly onto the arrogant boy's face. The sound of a broken cartilage echoed through the arena along with the sound of a tooth hitting the ground followed by Sky's unconscious body itself. Pyrrha looked at the screen and saw that Sky's aura was now in the yellow at roughly 40%.

"Enough! This match's winner is Pyrrha Nikos." Goodwitch announced and the students, especially her friends, applauded at her performance.

"If he were conscious, I'd say that Mr. Lark needs to watch his temper. However, you did well, Ms. Nikos. You used a foreign weapon very well. Have you used such a thing before?" She asked.

"No, ma'am. It felt like Anaconda just accepted me and it seemed like it knew what I wanted and did it. I'm sorry, but I don't know how else to describe it." She said bashfully.

"Well, you did a good job regardless. Take your seat please." She said and ordered one of Sky's teammates, Russel Thrush to take him to the infirmary.

"The next match will be between Mr. Cardin Winchester using the weapon of Mr. Sky Lark against Mr. Jaune Arc using the weapon of Ms. Nora Valkyrie." Goodwitch announced.

Jaune's grin seemed to split his face in half. Though the fact that it looked evil should've creeped everyone out, it was the matching grin on Nora's face that truly frightened everyone.

Cardin was a burly man with a similar armor to his teammates and he had short brown hair and arrogant blue eyes. His normal weapon was a mace with an exploding fire Dust crystal embedded into it but he was currently wielding his teammate's halberd/rifle.

Jaune stood with Nora holding her war hammer to her team leader. "Take good care of our fearless leader, Magnhild." She whispered to her weapon before handing it to him.

Jaune smiled warmly at her before he petted her head. "No need to fear, "Destroyer of Worlds", I will wield this mighty weapon and smite all evil with the fury of a hurricane." He exclaimed dramatically while adopting a 'heroic' pose with the hammer in one hand and the other fist on his waist and his chest puffed out. Nora laughed joyously and hugged her friend tightly before running to her seat beside a smiling Ren and Pyrrha. Yang and Ruby cheered Jaune on while Blake continued to wave her little flag.

Jaune twirled the war hammer and switched it into its grenade launcher form and back to get accustomed to it.

Cardin glared at Jaune. "You're goin' down, Jauney-boy. I wonder how your family of freaks are gonna react when they find out you got into this school, only to get beat by me." He goaded, only for Jaune to look at him confusedly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was I supposed to know who you are? Did I kill someone you know or put him in prison? Either one's a possibility I suppose." He muttered to himself.

Cardin growled angrily at him and charged with his borrowed weapon raised over his head. Jaune still didn't react even when Cardin brought the weapon down. It suddenly stopped a hairs breadth away from his forehead. Cardin was launched away, covered in a bright purple light.

The teen looked around and saw Goodwitch with her riding crop pointed at him and a purple aura around her. "I don't believe I started the match, Mr. Winchester. As it is, I should forfeit you and issue you detention with me until next month." She ground out angrily.

"Ms. Goodwitch? I'd actually like to fight this guy, if it's all the same to you. I think he needs to be brought down a peg or seventeen." Jaune interjected.

Glynda breathed deeply to calm herself before she swatted her crop and sent Cardin to the opposite end of the arena. "You will receive that detention, either way, Winchester. The same rules apply as in the last battle. Begin!" She declared.

Jaune took the war hammer in both hands and dashed towards Cardin, who raised the halberd to block the strike, which it did below the hammer. Jaune grinned and pulled the trigger near the pommel of the hammer's shaft, launching a pink grenade into Cardin's chest. The arrogant teen was sent flying into the arena wall from the pink smoke-filled explosion. He shook his head and glared at Jaune with rage in his eyes. Jaune merely smirked at the cracked armor on Cardin's torso. "Is that even real armor? It looks like a Beowolf pup could split it open like a can of spam." Jaune stated loudly. The listening audience laughed at his taunting.

Jaune then dashed forward with the hammer held like a golf club. "FORE-" He brought the hammer up and it whacked Cardin in the face. "-HEAD!" He shouted as the bully's body was sent flying away and his aura was dropped into the yellow at roughly 30%.

"ASSHOLE-IN-ONE!" Jaune cheered and tossed the hammer away like it was a golf club, much to the amusement of his peers and more-so, his friends.

Cardin shook away the imaginary birds dancing around his head and glared hatefully at the Arc scion. He grabbed the halberd and aimed the rifle barrel at Jaune and fired.

He struck a few feet behind and to the side of Jaune. "Dude, learn how to shoot. Let me lead by example." He said and caught the airborne Magnhild, which he shifted to its grenade launcher form. "SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!" He shouted dramatically and fired three grenades at Cardin's feet, the last one strong enough to send him into the air. Jaune switched Magnhild back into a war hammer and dashed to where Cardin would land.

"MOTHER!"

"FUCKING!"

"BOOP!" Jaune screamed as he swung the hammer like a baseball bat onto Cardin's face, smashing him into the wall hard enough to leave a crater around an imprint of his body.

The screen showed that Cardin's aura had completely depleted and Jaune was declared the winner of the battle.

"Enough! Jaune Arc is the winner." Goodwitch announced. The class cheered even louder than when Pyrrha won her fight. Jaune's friends especially were loud. "Mr. Arc, you are lucky that the war hammer is a weapon that doesn't require much grace or technique since you essentially used it like a club for most of the battle. Using your opponent's anger as a means of directing the battle was also a very effective strategy, though I suggest you watch your language in my presence, young man." She said with a cold glare.

Jaune rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Sorry. Got a bit carried away." He said with a courteous bow. The bell chose to ring at that moment, signaling that it was time for their lunch hour.

"All of you are dismissed. We'll continue this lesson for the rest of the week before moving to Hand-to-hand combat." Goodwitch announced.

Jaune tossed Magnhild back to its extremely happy wielder, only for the girl to jump onto his torso and wrap her limbs around him, ensnaring his head in her modest chest and his arms in her legs.

"THAT WAS THE 'BOOP' TO END ALL 'BOOPS'! REN WE HAVE TO GREATEST LEADER EVERRRRRR!" Nora screamed to her exasperated friend.

"Nora, I think he's turning blue." Pyrrha pointed out to the hyperactive girl with a twitch in her brow.

" _Not to intrude upon Ren territory, but death via Nora's boob smothering hug ain't a bad way to go."_ Jaune thought with a quick smirk.

 **(Beacon Cafeteria one week later)**

Despite her former profession, Pyrrha was a girl who wanted the simple things in life.

She had already made good headway in acquiring several simple things. She had a ragtag group of friends that she was proud to know.

She was part of a very talented team, a kind and dry humored, level-headed martial artist, a Valkyrie with a warm heart and hyperactive personality.

And finally…

"… and then the parrot goes "Alright, I give up, where's the damn ship?"" Jaune finished the punch line only for his friends to laugh uproariously.

Her partner and team leader, who had incredible power and talent, a bright disposition, and a wicked sense of humor. She also believed she was finally experiencing her first crush on said team leader. His intervention for Weiss and Ruby had led to wonderful results. Weiss had finally begun to warm up to her team and Ruby had hit the books fiercely for someone who obviously hated studying. Yang had profusely thanked him by shoving his face in her cleavage and Pyrrha had gotten the impression that she wasn't the only one who had a crush on the Ghost Rider.

She had seen the looks that Blake and Yang had sent his way and Ruby had sent her own utterly adorable glances as well.

"Heheh. Okay, one more. There was an exploring vessel in the middle of the ocean sailing without a problem or any issue. Suddenly the guy in the Crow's nest yells "Captain, there's an enemy ship on the horizon." The captain turns to his first mate and says "Bring me my red shirt." The first mate does so and the captain puts it on and the battle ensues. It goes on all day and they don't lose one sailor. After the fight, the first mate goes up to the captain and asks "Captain, why'd you ask for a red shirt before the fight?" The captain says "If I were to be shot and was bleeding, the crew wouldn't notice the blood and continue to fight on." The first mate looks at him and says "Man, that's awesome." The next morning, the guy in the Crow's nest yells "Twenty enemy ships on the horizon." The captain looks at his first mate and says "Bring me my brown pants."" The group of eight erupted into laughter again, as did several other students who were in earshot of Jaune's joke.

 **(Those of you who know where those jokes came from, kudos to you.)**

"I guess the ship hit the fan for those guys." Yang interjected, killing everyone's laughter.

"GOD DAMNIT, YANG!" Jaune shouted in response.

"That was horrible." Blake deadpanned.

"You guys wouldn't know comedy gold if it hit you in the face." Yang whined.

"Speaking of which, anybody else have any good ones?" Jaune asked his friends, only to be interrupted by a girl a few meters away.

"Ow, stop it! Let go!" A girl's voice yelled.

The group's heads all turned to the sound and saw a second year brunette rabbit faunus with brown eyes piteously pleading for her release.

"Oh, I'm sorry, does it hurt? Looks like it does." Cardin sneered, making his team laugh.

Holding her ear was Cardin Winchester, fully healed thanks to his aura and the wondrous technology from the Beacon Medical Center. The bully's teammates were circled around the two, preventing the girl's escape.

"This is disgusting." Pyrrha hissed. Blake sat right next to her with her eyes narrowed hatefully.

Weiss only narrowed her eyes and focused on her food while Yang and Ruby glared at Cardin and his group hatefully. Ruby suddenly started sniffing the air. "Is something burning? I'm smelling smoke." She announced.

"Let me break his legs." Nora said and made to stand but was held down by Ren, who was looking at Jaune with wide fearful eyes.

Jaune was glaring with burning eyes that were currently smoking slightly.

" _Oh, that's what's burning."_ Pyrrha thought dumbly.

He then pointed to the doorway. "If she doesn't do anything about this in the next fifteen seconds, I'm gonna be wanted for manslaughter." He said.

They followed his finger and saw the barely visible visage of Glynda Goodwitch behind the doorway.

"What the hell's she doing? Why isn't she stopping him?" Yang seethed.

"It's politics, Yang. If she defends a Faunus, she's gonna be seen as a Faunus lover and the council might start thinkin' she's a White Fang supporter. Bullshit on several levels, obviously, but the Valean council isn't known for their common sense or sense of morality for that matter." Jaune said before he stood up. "Good thing I don't give a flying fuck about them cause time's up." He announced before he marched over to the bullies.

Cardin was having a good time right now. After his beat down by the Arc freak, he was healed after of week of treatment and went to get lunch with his friends. Upon seeing this little bunny Faunus, he decided that showing her a faunus' place would be a good use of his time.

Too bad his time was up.

Jaune came up from behind him and grabbed his wrist in a vice, hard enough to make his bones grind together.

"Velvet, go sit with the girls and the guy over there." He said to the girl over Cardin's shout of pain. He shoved Cardin away and kicked him onto Russel Thrush, a somewhat lanky young man with a shaved head, aside from a light green mohawk. The larger brute tumbled over the man, making a path for Velvet to escape.

"M-My Lord Arc?" Velvet squeaked with an English accent. She was seemingly mortified at the sight of him, especially at the sight he had no doubt seen her in.

"For God's sakes, Vel! Go!" He barked, making her 'eep' cutely and scamper off to the table he pointed out.

Jaune then turned his glare to the rest of team CRDL. Dove and Sky glared at him but warily stood their ground. He grabbed the chain across his torso and snapped it loose, ready for a fight that he knew was coming.

Cardin stood up and snarled at the interloper. "You're gonna pay for that, Arc." He growled.

Jaune raised his brow and glanced at Cobalt, who had not even bothered to move from his perch on Jaune's shoulder. "Put it on my bill." He quipped.

Cardin growled and charged at the heir, only for Jaune to tilt his head to the side to dodge the punch and trip him up. Cardin landed face first on the floor.

Jaune then lashed his chain out and struck a stalking Russel across his head, knocking him straight out from the precise hit to his temple. Dove grabbed the chain in midair and tried to yank it from Jaune's grasp, only for Jaune to not even move a millimeter. Jaune then yanked Anaconda, jerking Dove in his direction. He slammed his arm into Dove's throat in a clothesline, knocking him onto the ground. The sole of Jaune's boot was the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness. Sky shouted a battle cry and threw a punch, only for Jaune to catch his fist effortlessly and knee him in the gut, bending him over. Jaune then grabbed the lapel of his uniform and slam his forehead onto Sky's, knocking him out. He turned back to Cardin, only to get the Winchester's fist in his face.

Cardin smirked cockily after finally landing a hit, fully expecting Jaune to fall and cry from such a hit. So confident was he in his own strength.

So he was naturally stunned when Jaune turned his head back towards him without a mark on him. Jaune responded by pulling his own arm back and throwing his fist forward.

The impact seemed to echo through the entire mess hall as Cardin was sent flying through the air and on the other side of the room, unconscious before he made it halfway to the ground.

Jaune walked over to the unconscious bully and promptly spat on him. "Sorry, did that hurt, Trash? It looked like it did." He sneered before turning back to his friends, only to come face-to-face with a fuming Goodwitch.

" _Okay, let the bullshittin' begin."_ He thought as he preemptively left the mess hall.

 **(Headmaster's office, several minutes later)**

Jaune drifted in and out of awareness as he listened to Goodwitch ramble on about how he should be expelled to Ozpin, regardless of his reasons.

"The excessive use of force that you used could land those boys hospitalized for weeks." Goodwitch ranted to an incredibly bored looking Jaune.

"Is this gonna finish anytime soon?" Jaune asked Ozpin, whom sat behind his desk with his typical cup of coffee in hand.

"Eventually." The man answered.

Goodwitch looked at her boss with a borderline betrayed look on her face.

Ozpin sighed in aggravation before gazing at his deputy headmistress. "Glynda, Mr. Arc gave us his ultimatum before he accepted my invitation to join us. He would deal with any racist harassing a faunus in his own manner and we both know how meaningful a faunus' animal traits are to their people. What team CRDL was doing was practically a mortal insult." He explained.

"Also, let's bring up the fact that you were outside the door to the mess hall watching him pull that poor girl's ears while she cried for him to stop." He stood up and got in Goodwitch's face. "So don't lecture me on EXCESSIVE VIOLENCE! IF HE PULLED THAT SHIT AT THE CITADEL, I'DVE SHOVED MY SHOTGUN UP HIS ASS!"

Jaune was silenced when he felt a pressure emanate from Ozpin. He turned and saw a green aura of power surrounding the man. "That'll do, Mr. Arc. Please return to your team and prepare for professor Oobleck's class." He said with an undertone of authority that belied his calm disposition.

The heir nodded silently and left.

Once they were alone, Ozpin turned his glare to his second. "Glynda, I understand your reluctance to involve yourself given how the political arena is faring these days but within these halls, bullying of that manner, regardless if they're human or faunus, is not to be tolerated!" The man seemed to tower over the woman. "Team CRDL will receive two months of detention and they will publically apologize to young Ms. Scarletina. Mr. Arc will receive no penalty for his actions, seeing as how he had warned us what he would do if he saw such an event happening."

Glynda was going to interject but she froze at the look in her boss' eyes.

"Neither of us can condone bullying, Glynda. The fact that you were there and did nothing robs you of any right to punish him. We will be having a discussion about your lack of action at another time." Ozpin said with a note of finality in his voice.

Knowing she had lost this battle and that she was being dismissed, Glynda retreated to prepare for her next class.

Ozpin sipped some more of his coffee as he observed his computer screen, showing the "fight" between Jaune and team CRDL. _"Dammit Glynda. If any member of the White Fang found out about this, you'd be a target of convenience for them at best or propaganda at worst."_

 **(With Teams RWBY and (J)NPR)**

"So how do you know Jaune? It sounded like you knew him personally." Yang asked the cute bunny girl, Velvet, as she introduced herself.

She giggled sheepishly. "W-Well, my parents live at the Arc Citadel. We've been proud citizens for about six years now." She explained with an undercurrent of pride in her voice.

Ruby looked at her excitedly. "What's it like there?" She asked enthusiastically.

Velvet smiled warmly. "It's as close to paradise as a place on Remnant can get. There's very little crime thanks to the security force. My momma is a high-ranking officer of the Law-Enforcement Division and my daddy owns and operates a chocolate/candy store."

The instant she finished that sentence, Nora, Ruby, and Yang practically teleported in front of her.

"DO YOU HAVE ORDER SHEETS!? They all yelled at once. Velvet was apparently prepared since she produced three sheets and a booklet of products for them to choose from.

"I only take cash." She smirked cheekily as they took the papers.

Pyrrha giggled at their antics before focusing on Velvet again. "So did you and Jaune grow up together or something?" She asked, keeping her voice even so her envy wouldn't be noticeable.

"N-Not quite. Um…" She glanced at the others, seeing that Weiss had joined the other three at looking through the booklet. Only Ren and Blake were paying any attention to her. She had noticed the traits of a sister on Blake as well as how she was trying to hide them. Ren and Pyrrha were on her Lord's team and they seemed trustworthy. "Okay, this is kind of confidential so keep it quiet. I unlocked my semblance when I was thirteen. It has something to do with hard-light constructs. The Research and Development Division took me in and I became a guinea pig IN NAME ONLY!" She whisper/shouted at their wide eyed affronted looks. "Look, they didn't hurt a hair on my head. They just studied my semblance to further their own research in holographic and hard light technology. Thanks to me, they made dozens of breakthroughs and their work was pushed forward by years if not decades. I was compensated incredibly as well. Plus, thanks to them, I had a wonderful training regime and I can activate my semblance and maintain it for at least a few hours now."

"I met her at the R&D Division on one of my visits home and we clicked." Jaune announced as he appeared behind Velvet and gently grabbed her shoulders, making her ears straighten up and her face light up.

"M-Milord, I'm sorry you had to see that." She said bashfully, only for Jaune to gently pinch one of her ears.

"You should know better than to call me that, Velvet." He said and removed his glove. The others watched as he glanced around, making sure that nobody was looking and that he was between his hand and any cameras before he looked at his hand intently.

The flesh started to burn away, revealing his skeletal hand burning with a strange cerulean flame.

"Oooooohhhh. What's that, Jauney?" Nora asked childishly.

He smirked and gently touched the point where Velvet's ears connected to her head.

She sighed in relief. "I don't know what you're doing, but it feels wonderful." She sighed blissfully.

He looked at his friends and pulled his hand away, letting his flesh reform, and replacing his glove.

"You feel better?" He asked, only for Velvet to lean back against him. "Guess so." He said and shook the girl awake before pointing at her empty tray. "Put that up and then you can take a nap." He ordered. She nodded and bid her new friends goodbye before leaving.

Jaune sat back down and looked up to his friends. "Okay, you all know what the Rider looks like. That's the form I take when I wield the power of Hellfire. What I used just now was the Fire of Purgatory. It's the normal weapon of Angels, unable to harm the innocent and purifies wounds and ailments. I like to call it the "Angel Rider" when I use its full power." He said while holding his hand up and flaring a bit of the blue flame in his palm. "Its healing powers are very formidable and Grimm are absolutely terrified of it." He clenched his fist, extinguishing the flame.

"That's fascinating and everything but what happened with the Headmaster?" Yang bluntly asked.

"Nothing." Jaune said simply.

A few seconds of silence was what greeted him.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN 'NOTHING'!? YOU JUST BEAT THE LIVING HELL OUT OF FOUR PEOPLE!" Yang screamed.

Jaune just smirked at their stunned looks. "I informed Ozpin of my 'unique' Semblance after Ruby and I chased off Torchwick. I told him I'd attend as a student but if I saw anyone bullying, faunus or otherwise, I'd beat the Hell out of them. Goodwitch tried to get me suspended but Ozpin honors his deals, so I was released." He explained.

They were silent at this bit of information.

Weiss was conflicted. Since Jaune had given her the most impactful lecture of her life, she'd done her absolute best to become the team mate that Ruby needed.

And boy, did she need it.

Anyway, Jaune had just beaten the living Hell out of team CRDL over a random faunus girl. Though, it wasn't surprising, given where he comes from.

On the other hand, team CRDL was acting like a bunch of savage thugs, harassing that poor girl, who had done nothing wrong.

So she decided to go with Jaune on this one.

Her musings were interrupted by Ren. "Why didn't Prof. Goodwitch intervene? You said something about politics, but I don't really understand." He asked politely.

Jaune cleared his throat. "Okay, the White Fang is essentially the 'voice' of the faunus until the Rights Movement, which is sponsored by my family, gets some more momentum going. The faunus are discriminated against because the _"Fangers"_ are essentially telling the entire world that the faunus are a bunch of rabid dogs."

Blake looked ready to protest until Jaune locked eyes with her and she was frozen by his glare.

"Those poor people are suffering more and more each day and the Fang isn't helping matters. The reason Goodwitch didn't help is because she doesn't want to be seen as an open supporter of faunus equality. Those people don't really live for long in this world. Either by the White Fang, who don't want anyone to see that equality is truly possible and would make their 'mission' out to be the terrorism that it actually is. Or by humans who want to keep faunus underfoot." Jaune explained.

The group was silent at his explanation.

Jaune clapped to get their attention. "Okay, Oz said that we got prof. Oobleck's class next so let's go." He shooed his friends to the door.

They followed dazedly, except for Nora who had jumped on Jaune's back, demanding that he 'mush'.

 **(Later that night)**

Blake had always enjoyed reading under the moonlight. It was just something that comforted her when her mind was in turmoil or she was stressed.

And right now, she was conflicted. Jaune Arc, a new friend whose family had done so much good for her people had openly fought for the safety of another Faunus regardless of the consequences.

" _Though, his declaration that the White Fang are just a bunch of rabid dogs probably mitigates the political backlash that he'd normally incite."_ She thought.

"You know, I'm not that surprised to find you here." Jaune's voice said from below her spot on a tree branch. She started and looked down to see the blonde boy looking at her gently.

"You don't have to keep that bow on around me if you don't want. I know how uncomfortable it is for your folk to keep them covered for extended periods of time." He said conversationally.

Blake's eyes widened in alarm and she instinctively grabbed her bow, making sure it was still in place. "H-How'd you know?" She asked lowly.

He chuffed in amusement. "I've been around faunus most of my life, Blake. I can recognize one when I see her. I figure that you've got a good reason to hide your features so I won't squeal or pry, don't you worry." He said, making her relax slightly.

There was silence between them for a few seconds.

"Jaune, why do you feel that the White Fang are nothing more than terrorists? To me, they're just misguided." She asked.

Jaune's face turned stone-like and his eyes seemed to ignite with righteous flames. "I have the power to sense the wickedness in the souls around me, Blake. Your own soul has no innocent blood for example. Some of them are misguided, I'll give you that. But I've destroyed some of their outposts and training centers. The people that were there… their souls had been stained for years with innocent blood, both human and their fellow faunus."

Blake's posture drooped in sadness at this fact but she silently listened to Jaune's words.

"The very instant they shed innocent blood, they became terrorists and no matter how much time passes, no matter how much you wish it wasn't, it's still there. My duty is to avenge the innocent and punish the guilty. Some of my contacts have told me that the leader of this terrorist sub-faction is called Adam "the Blood Bull" Taurus. You heard of him?" He asked.

He saw her stiffen and wasn't sure if it was fear or something else.

"I'll take that as a yes. He's the one responsible for the bloodshed that the Fang's conducted these past few years. All of the lives ended for the sake of his bloodlust will be avenged. Once he's dealt with, the rest will still have to pay for their sins." He said with a note of finality before he walked away.

Blake put her book away and stared at the moon, unsure of how to feel about Jaune's words. Her former comrade truly did need to be stopped but she didn't know if she could kill him or the others.

One thing she knew for sure, Jaune was aiming to kill and no matter what she did or asked, he had his mission and he would see it through.

She just didn't know if she would be able to ask him to spare Adam, especially given how Adam's hands were oozing with blood.

 **(Two weeks later, Forever Falls.)**

"Nora, quit drinkin' the damn sap!" Jaune shouted in a nasally voice when he saw Nora guzzle another jar of the red sap.

Nora pouted at him. "But it's sooooo goooood! I wanna put it on my pancakes." She cheered.

Jaune rolled his eyes and drew his knife. He stabbed the tree next to him and caught the sap that dripped out in his own jar. He immediately sneezed harshly when the scent of the sap hit his nostrils.

"Are you alright, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked her partner worriedly.

"Ohh. I think I'm allergic to this stuff." He answered as he sealed the full jar and sneezed again. When he stood up, his eyes were puffy and hazy and his nose was red.

"Aw, poor Jaune." Ruby said as she placed a filled jar on his back. Jaune and Ren were playing pack mule for the two teams.

"This is bull-AH-CHOO!-shit! What happened to gender equality? Why are the guys the ones who carry the heavy shit?" Jaune complained.

"Because you're a gentleman." Blake suggested as she placed her own jar on Jaune's back.

"Well, as of right now, I-" Jaune's speech was cut off by something impacting with his back and shattering. He felt something warm and sticky seeping down his back. "Okay, who's grave will I have to spend the next few hours digging." He growled ferociously.

Until he sneezed again.

The two teams looked around frantically until Blake's sensitive ears picked up an angry buzzing noise. She honed in on it and saw a group of wasp-like Grimm with two-inch long stingers.

"RAPIER WASPS!" She screamed.

"GODDAMMIT! I GOT TAGGED." Jaune screamed as he pulled out Anaconda and Fulcrum.

The two teams each drew their weapons. "Ren, you and Nora get Goodwitch. These guys are just the beginning." Jaune ordered. Ruby instructed Weiss to go with them.

Once the three were gone, they attacked the approaching swarm with a vengeance. Ruby's Crescent Rose sheared several of them and Blake took out any stragglers that got too close to Jaune.

Yang blasted away with her Ember Celica, burning away the bug Grimm before they could reach anyone.

Pyrrha stood back-to-back with Jaune. She blocked the stingers with Milo and hacked through the bugs with Akuo. Jaune lashed out with a burning Anaconda and thunderous buckshots from Fulcrum.

Once the bugs were dead, the group took a breather until Jaune suddenly snarled. "WINCHESTER! I HOPE YOU MADE YOUR LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT CAUSE I AM OFFICIALLY PISSED THE FUCK OFF!" He roared.

The group looked around and saw the four thugs disappear over a hill.

Jaune whistled, summoning his Hellcycle, and quickly took off after the delinquents, ignoring the yells from his friends to stop.

Upon reaching the four, he was knocked off of his ride by a large black shape. He rolled with the impact and stood, seeing team CRDL, minus Cardin himself, hauling ass away from a giant Ursa.

It was at least twice as big as the one that Nora rode on during their initiation in the Emerald forest and it had many more bone plates and larger spikes on its back.

"Ursa Major. How the hell did anyone miss this thing approaching?" Then he looked down and saw that Cardin's ankle was twisted and a bit of yellowish tan sap was on his arms. A few feet away were a couple boxes that he assumed held the Rapier Wasps. Obviously he had thrown the jar that stained his jacket and released the Wasps but it had leaked onto his arms and drawn the attention of an Ursa Major.

The Ursa roared and lumbered towards Cardin, who screamed and covered his head, only for Jaune to dash between them and catch the behemoth's giant paw, cratering the ground below him.

"You know, I really should just let this thing kill your wimpy ass but then you wouldn't learn nothin'." Jaune groaned angrily as he tightened his grip on the beast's limb.

With a mighty yell, he spun around and sent the Grimm to the other side of the clearing where it landed with a crash. He reached back and drew his blades, pulling the triggers to spin the chainsaws.

He charged the Ursa Major and yelled a battle cry as he cut a gash onto its chest. The beast roared and swiped at him. He rolled to avoid it and cut its limb. He chucked Acies at its face and the knife struck true on the Grimm's eye. It lumbered away, roaring in pain and Jaune took the moment to channel a stream of Hellfire into Argent, making the weapon glow orange and the chainsaw to bellow a concentrated stream of fire. He charged the Grimm and used its flailing front paw as leverage and jumped above its head. Aiming true, his sword cleanly sliced through its neck, decapitating it and setting its body ablaze.

Once it disintegrated, he reached down and picked up Acies. He twirled the knife and sheathed it before turning to a humbled Cardin.

"What does it say about you when your team mates haul their cowardly asses off and leave you for dead?" He asked rhetorically. His harsh words received nothing in reply but a blank stare at his feet.

"I don't give a rat's ass about whatever the flying fuck you or your family has against mine or for the Faunus folk. This is a profession where you dedicate yourself to the protection of **people**. Whether they be human or Faunus is irrelevant. If you use your strength to torment people, then how do you expect anyone to truly respect you? You should've known this was the end result, Winchester. When you rule through fear, you will be abandoned when you show the slightest hint of weakness. I think now that you've finally experienced that, you can finally improve yourself." Jaune said as he hefted the silent boy up and helped him walk over to his approaching team, whom was escorting a slightly worried Professor Goodwitch.

 **Okay folks, again, I'm sorry for how long this one took and I hope that its length will make up for that.**

 **Please send your feedback in the form of lovely reviews.**


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